Main steel types and main chemical components of bearing steel wire

BEARING WIRE

Bearing wire refers to a type of steel wire with a cold-drawn process. Cold-drawn steel wires for bearing applications are divided into several different types, such as high carbon, chrome, stainless steel and so on. These steel wires are specified for particular bearing applications for its high strength, low extensibility and low notch sensitivity.

In addition, bearing wires also require a specific surface quality with a smooth and uniform surface finish free of any cracks, inclusions, pits or other blemishes. As a result, bearing wire is produced with a rigorous quality control process to meet certain performance requirements.

A. High Carbon Bearing Steel Wires

High carbon or carbon chromium bearing steel wire is the most commonly used steel wire for bearing applications. It is a low-alloy and high-carbon steel wire which is specially prepared for bearing applications. It has a high strength and alloys higher than 1% can improve its fatigue strength, wear resistance, plating performance and corrosion resistance. The chemical composition of high carbon bearing steel wires is shown below.

Carbon (C): 1.05% to 1.60%

Manganese (Mn): 0.25% to 0.80%

Silicon (Si): below 0.50%

Phosphorus (P): below 0.05%

Sulfur (S): below 0.03%

Boron (B): below 0.003%

Nickel (Ni): 0.3% to 0.7%

Chromium (Cr): 0.50% to 1.15%

Molybdenum (Mo): 0.20% to 0.50%

B. Chrome Steel Bearing Wires

Chrome steel bearing wires are high-carbon and chromium alloy steel wires. It has a high resistance to shock and wear, low friction coefficient and good corrosion resistance. The chemical composition of chrome bearing steel wires is shown below.

Carbon (C): 0.95% to 1.10%

Manganese (Mn): 0.30% to 0.80%

Silicon (Si): below 0.50%

Phosphorus (P): below 0.02%

Sulfur (S): below 0.03%

Boron (B): below 0.0015%

Nickel (Ni): 0.3% to 0.7%

Chromium (Cr): 1.00% to 1.35%

Molybdenum (Mo): 0.20% to 0.50%

C. Stainless Steel Bearing Wires

Stainless steel bearing wires are a type of corrosion resistant alloy with characteristics such as high strength, low coefficient of friction, good creep- and wear-resistance, and ductility. These features make it suitable for use in bearing applications. The chemical composition of stainless steel bearing wires is shown below.

Carbon (C): 0.03% to 0.10%

Manganese (Mn): 1.00% to 2.00%

Silicon (Si): below 0.75%

Phosphorus (P): below 0.04%

Sulfur (S): below 0.03%

Chromium (Cr): 16.00% to 18.00%

Nickel (Ni): 8.00% to 10.00%

Molybdenum (Mo): 2.50% to 3.00%

Nitrogen (N): below 0.10%

Conclusion

Bearing wires are an important component for the construction of high-precision roller and ball bearings. The types of steel wires used for this purpose depends on the application, with the most popular being carbon chromium, chrome and stainless steel bearing wires. These steel wires possess suitable characteristics such as low extensibility, high strength, and low notch sensitivity. They must also be produced with a uniform and smooth surface finish free of defects.

Rolling bearings steel wire, also known as bearing steel wire, is an important special steel wire material, and is one of the five major production sectors of the special steel industry. Bearing steel wire is mainly used to produce bearing steel bars, bearing steel and rollers. Its mechanical performance and steel production quality directly affect normal operation of rolling bearings. Bearing steel wire is typically divided into high-carbon chromium bearing steel and low-carbon chromium bearing steel.

High-carbon chromium bearing steel is a kind of high-quality carbon structural steel which contains certain amounts of chromium, has good hardenability and abrasion resistance after heat treated, and is produced and processed with national standard. Its main chemical components are 0.9% - 1.0% carbon, 0.2%-0.5% chromium, and trace amounts of sulfur, phosphorus, and other components.

Low-carbon chromium bearing steel contains a lower amount of carbon and higher amounts of chromium and other alloy elements, used for producing bearing rings, bearing rings and rollers which require higher wear resistance and fatigue strength. Its main chemical components range from 0.35 % - 0.75 % carbon, 0.9% - 1.0% chromium, and trace amounts of sulfur, phosphorus, and other components.