Ceramic Bearings Better Than Steel

Another common difference in bearing construction is the cage type.
Ceramic bearings better than steel. In our higher end cult. As ceramic bearings do not. They are more corrosion resistant harder and last longer in everyday use. Ceramic bearings vs steel bearings ceramic materials offer superior corrosion and heat resistance higher dimensional stability and lower density which facilitates high speed.
Full ceramic bearings have races and balls that are made entirely of ceramic material and are superior to common steel bearings in many ways. Campagnolo chooses to put ceramic bearings in all of its wheelsets from mid range upwards. The first thing that strikes the eye when looking at bicycle bearings is the difference in price between steel bearings and hybrid ceramic bearings. This reduces friction by up to 40 as well as energy loss allowing your equipment to run more efficiently with ceramic ball bearings.
The ceramic balls when manufactured by a top quality bearing manufacturer are rounder lighter and smoother than steel balls. Ceramic is the perfect material for any application seeking to achieve higher rpm s reduce overall weight or for extremely harsh environments where high temperatures and corrosive substances are present. It takes weeks for a kogel ball to sit in a tumbler and be perfectly polished. While a formula 1 engine revving to 15 000 rpm can create a lot of heat that can deform and swell steel bearings.
It is required to prevent bearing seizure when it warms up and expands. Ceramic bearings exist to help manage heat in high rpm applications. They don t expand or deform when they contact each other hertzian stress as much as steel bearings when they get really hot. Ceramics are inert whereas metals are reactive making ceramics resistant to corrosive materials such as seawater and many chemicals including acids and alkalis.
On ceramic bearings this is usually a c3 clearance whilst on steel it s usually cn. This is mostly due to the additional time spent to perfect a quality ceramic ball.