Business Industry > Bearing > Balls and Sphere Shapes
Balls and sphere shapes are used for check or ball valves, bearings, or other applications requiring a spherical product. They are fabricated from materials such as carbides, ceramics, sapphire, metals, plastics, rubber and elastomers. The proper selection of a material depends on the specific performance requirements of the end-use applications. Some glass, plastic, and ceramic materials are available in transparent or translucent grades, which can be useful in some applications. Carbides and carbide materials for balls and sphere shapes include silicon carbide, tungsten carbide and titanium carbide as well as other compounds of a metal (Ti, W, Cr, Zr) or metalloid (B, Si) and carbon. Carbides have excellent wear resistance and high hardness (room temperature and hot hardness). Carbide balls are used in bearing, ball screw, valve, flowmeter, gage, gaging tracer or probe tip, ballizing ball and other wear applications. Ceramic materials for balls and sphere shapes consist of non-metallic, inorganic compounds that include oxygen, carbon, or nitrogen. Examples include aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, and zirconium oxide ceramics. These materials have high melting points and excellent wear resistance, and provide oxidation and corrosion resistance. Ceramic balls and sphere shapes are used in bearings, check valves, flowmeters and gaging devices. The brittle nature or lower thermal shock resistance of certain ceramics can be a drawback in some applications. Silicate based glass materials for balls and sphere shapes have a random, liquid-like (non-crystalline) molecular structure. They are heated to a temperature sufficient to produce a completely fused melt. Glass balls have good corrosion resistance and dimensional stability, and can withstand temperatures up to 600° F. Glass balls are useful in check valve, rotometers, flowmeter aircraft instrumentation and process equipment applications. A wide variety of metals and alloys are heat-treated or tempered to produce metal balls and sphere shapes. Ferrous metals and alloys are based on iron and include carbon steels, alloy steels, stainless steels, cast iron, cast steel, maraging steel, and specialty or proprietary iron-based alloys. Steel and stainless steel balls are often used in bearing and check valve applications. Nonferrous metals and alloys are not based on iron, and include alloys of aluminum, copper, nickel (Inconel® or Hastelloy®), Monel® (nickel-copper alloy), cobalt (stellite or cast cobalt), precious metals, refractory or reactive metals. Inconel and Monel are registered trademarks of Special Metals Corporation. Hastelloy is a registered trademark of Haynes International. Demanding chemical, paper, textile, food, pharmaceutical applications require corrosion resistant balls and sphere shapes manufactured from stainless steels and non-ferrous metals such stellite or cobalt, nickel and Monel. Balls ground from Inconel nickel- based alloys and Stellite cobalt base alloys are useful in applications needing both high corrosion and heat resistance. Hollow aluminum and stainless steel balls are used in float applications in fuel, hydraulic or other chemical fluid systems. Hollow metal balls are also used in aircraft valve applications to reduce component weight. In addition, metal balls are used as anodes in plating processes. Plastic, rubber and elastomer materials are organic, synthetic or processed polymers that are supplied as raw materials or stock shapes. They typically consist of thermoplastic or thermosetting resins and can shaped into many forms. Most plastics and elastomers are corrosion resistant, but softer and limited in heat resistance compared to metals, ceramics, glasses, or carbides. Plastics and elastomers can have good electrical insulation properties and self-lubricating properties depending on fillers and chemistry. Plastic balls and sphere shapes are useful in light load-bearing, check valve, or flow control and flowmeter applications in pharmaceutical, food and chemical process industries. Rubber or elastomeric materials are highly resilient and flexible. Rubber or elastomeric balls and sphere shapes are useful in screen deblinding, cabinetry (eliminating chatter or vibration), mounting, and check valve (quiet or low-noise sealing), applications. Sapphire is a high purity and density, single crystalline form of aluminum oxide, which may contain chromia, titania, yttria or other dopants. Sapphire has high hardness, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and can withstand temperature up to 3250° F. Sapphire is usually transparent or translucent, and highly resistant to corrosion and abrasion due the high hardness and density of the ceramic. Sapphire ceramic balls and sphere shapes are used in bearings, check valves, flowmeters and gaging devices. The brittle nature or lower thermal shock resistance of sapphire can be a drawback in some applications.
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