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TiC balls are manufactured and finished by Hoover Precision Products, Inc. utilizing a high volume, efficient production process. The balls are coated in Safety Harbor, Florida by BryCoat, Inc. using a titanium carbide coating applied in a high temperature CVD process.
TiC technology is over 30 years old and has been developed to support many navigation, space and medical bearing applications.
TiC coatings on stainless steel balls have been demonstrated to improve conventionally lubricated instrumental bearing performance and life cycles. This performance is due to extraordinary adhesion between ball and coating, high coating hardness, low surface roughness, no microwelding between balls and races, good wettability, low coefficient of friction and low catalytic activity in the decomposition of lubricants.
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Material Analysis of Coating Material:
All sizes and grades are coated by Chemical Vapor Disposition (CVD) per the CSEM Proprietary Process. The minimum coating before lap is .000180. TiC coating has a high hardness of 3500 Hv, a very fine microstruture with a grain size of .1um and is single phase with no binder.
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Material
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AISI
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Federal
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ASTM
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UNS
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AMS
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Military & Gov’t Stds.
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VAC Melt Stainless
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440C
FED STD66b
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QQ-S-763
QQ-S-624b
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MIL-S-862
MIL-S 980A (-1)
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S44004
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56480
7445(400c)
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MS 19060
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Chemical Analysis:
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TiC...........................................
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100%
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Titanium...................................
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81% by weight
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Carbide.....................................
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19% by weight
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How do TiC Balls compare with other ball materials?
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Property
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Units
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Steel
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SI3N4
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TiC
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Tic Coated Steel
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Density
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-
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7.8
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3.3
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4.92
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78
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Bulk properties of steel
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Elasticity Modulus
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GPa
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210
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320
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450
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210
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Bending strength
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MPa
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450
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1200
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900
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450
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Bulk hardness
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GPa
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7
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20
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30
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7
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Thermal expansion
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106/K
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12
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3
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7
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12
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Surface hardness
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GPa
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7
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20
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30
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30
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Surface properties of TiC
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Surface roughness (Ra)
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nm
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10
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5-7
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3-5
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3-6
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Frict. coeff./steel
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-
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0.7
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0.6
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0.25
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0.25
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The characteristics of TiC Balls are related to an optimized combination of steel and TiC properties.
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TiC Applications
- Long life inertial navigation instruments
- Momentum wheels
- Space mechanisms and instruments
- Mirror scanners
- Low noise/vibration applications
- Medical applications
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Advantages of Titanium Carbide Coated balls
- Extended bearing life
- Minimized adhesion and fretting wear
- Reduced race wear
- Reduced cage (retainer) wear
- Extends life of lburicant and also has high tolerance towards all types of lubes: chemical inertia of coating
- Low coefficient of friction (3 x’s lower than steel)
- Works in low lubrication conditions
- Excellent wettability characteristics
- In contrast to ceramic balls, TiC balls exhibit the bulk properties of the steel substrate (identical Young’s modulus, thermal expansion and hardness of steel balls and races)
- Complete traceability
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