What are ceramic ball bearings
The term ceramic are compound form of metallic and non-metallic elements.This word Ceramics has been derived from the Greek word Keramos which means potter’s earth or clay. In the modern applications, ceramics are inorganic as well as non-metallic materials which are been processed or used at high temperatures.
There are two types of ceramic bearing i.e hybrid ceramic ball bearings and Full Ceramic Bearing. The hybrid ceramic bearing have a steel inner and the outer rings are formed with ceramic balls whereas in case of full ceramic bearing the inner and the outer rings and the balls are made of ceramic only. There are many kinds of ceramic materials, the most common ceramic materials are Si3N4 which is defined as the silicon nitride ceramic material and is black in color. The other kind of ceramic material is known as the silicon carbide material or SiC and is also black in color. The zirconium dioxide or ZrO2 is also known as zirconia or zirconium oxide, they are white in color, this ZrO2 or zirconia ball looks exactly like a pearl. It has been known that the ceramic material is not stronger than a steel, but ceramic bearing are lighter and have lower friction than that found in a steel which makes ceramic bearing go faster with lower heat generated. More then a decade the ceramic ball bearings have been used for cutting tools, turbines, satellites and even in formula 1 racing.
Few of the most important component of the ceramic ball bearings are:
1. Thermal Expansion: On of the utmost feature of the ceramic is that it expands and contracts with changes in temperature which is like 35% less than steel, thus allowing the cyclist with less amount of vibration and offers smoother motion.
2 . Less Conductivity: The Ceramics are electrically NON-conductive, and chemically inert, thus do not suffer from oxidation and the rust that degrades the surface of a traditional steel ball bearing.
3. Weight Reduction: Silicon nitride ceramic balls are only about 40% of the weight of steel ball bearing which means that less weight equals to less rotating mass, making high speed, acceleration and deceleration possible with less effort.
4. Modulus of Elasticity: Ceramic is 50% harder, which allows it to takes more amount of work to alter its original shape and size.
The ceramic balls bearings weigh up to 40% less than steel bearing balls simply depending upon the size thus reducing the centrifugal loading and skidding which means that the hybrid ceramic bearings can operate 20% to 40% faster than conventional bearings. This reduction in force reduces the friction and the lighter ball allows the bearing to spin faster, and uses less energy to maintain its speed.
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Uses of ceramic ball bearings
In todays time the ceramic ball bearings are used in many of the rotary tools used and practiced by the dentists and dental hygienists. With the help of these ceramic ball bearings this allows the rotary tools surface to spin smoothly at fast pace.
It is therefore very important to take proper care of the ceramic ball bearings in order to keep the dental tools work smoothly and accurately. Some of the most important dental tools are dental ball bearings. These small tools are required for dental hand pieces to function properly. There are several types of ball bearings that dental professionals use which include ceramic ball bearings and the stainless steel ball bearings.
On September 28, 1992 The Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement on dental hand piece sterilization which layed-out how the dental hand pieces, including those with ceramic ball bearings, should be properly cleaned and used. As per the statement it is advised that the dental hand pieces should not be cleaned using the chemicals.
For the proper cleaning of the dental equipment heat sterlization is recommended. In case your dental equipment is not designed to be heat resistant then it is suggested that you should either replace it with modern equipment that is heat tolerant or you should retrofit the older dental hand pieces with heat resistant elements for the smooth and proper working.
It is advisable that the dental equipment including ceramic ball bearings should be thoroughly cleaned before and after they are used on the patient as, this will reduce the chances of infection and any other deseace.
There are a lot of supplies, tools and materials that are required in the dental practices and some of the most important dental tools are dental ball bearings. The ceramic ball bearings are available in different varieties all you need is to decide is what diameter you require. As some of the inner diameters of these ceramic ball bearings include 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, 8mm, 9 mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 17mm and 20mm.
It is suggested that a proper care and proper cleaning of the ceramic ball bearings is must for its smooth functioning.
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