In a 6800 series thin section ball bearings, Zirconia ZrO2 is the rolling element material — the balls, with the rings left in steel in a hybrid bearing. The grade is yttria-stabilized zirconia to ASTM F2393, density about 6.0 g/cm³; it is non-magnetic, and an electrical insulator, and its usable service range is stable well beyond the rest of the bearing; its thermal expansion is closer to steel than silicon nitride, which makes a mixed steel/zirconia assembly less sensitive to temperature change. This page covers what the material changes about the bearing, the limits it brings with it, and the sizes supplied.
Why Zirconia ZrO2 for 6800 Series Thin Section Ball Bearings
Tougher but softer and less stiff than silicon nitride — it is the full-ceramic choice for wet and chemically aggressive service rather than the high-speed one. In a 6800 series thin section ball bearings it is the rolling element material — the balls, with the rings left in steel in a hybrid bearing.
Zirconia is chosen where the environment attacks steel — seawater, brine, chemicals, or a process that must not be contaminated by iron — and where a full-ceramic bearing running unlubricated or with the process fluid is the only workable arrangement.
Material Properties
| Grade designation | yttria-stabilized zirconia to ASTM F2393, density about 6.0 g/cm³ |
|---|---|
| Magnetic response | Non-magnetic, and an electrical insulator |
| Service temperature | Stable well beyond the rest of the bearing; its thermal expansion is closer to steel than silicon nitride, which makes a mixed steel/zirconia assembly less sensitive to temperature change |
| Corrosion characteristic | Inert, including in seawater, brine and many acids |
Alternatives and When to Switch
Silicon nitride is the alternative wherever speed and stiffness matter more than toughness; 440C stainless is the alternative wherever the chemistry is mild enough for a hardened stainless to survive, since it carries far more load.
What the Material Changes About the Bearing
In a hybrid bearing the rings stay steel and the balls become ceramic, so the boundary dimensions and the mounting are unchanged. The differences are all dynamic: lower ball mass and therefore lower centrifugal load at speed, a higher permissible speed, less heat generated, electrical insulation through the ball contact, and a bearing that tolerates marginal lubrication better than an all-steel one.
Fitting a Steel Bearing in an Aluminum Housing
Aluminum has roughly twice the coefficient of thermal expansion of bearing steel, so a housing bore machined to a normal H7 fit at room temperature grows away from the outer ring as the machine reaches operating temperature. The outer ring then turns in its seat and wears the bore. Where the housing is aluminum and the temperature rise is more than about 30 degrees C, tighten the housing fit by one grade — J7 or K7 in place of H7 — or fit a steel sleeve into the aluminum. Check the resulting internal clearance: a tighter housing fit takes clearance out of the bearing, which is often why C3 is specified alongside it.
Sizes of 6800 Series Thin Section Ball Bearings Available in Zirconia ZrO2
| Designation | Bore d (mm) | Outer diameter D (mm) | Width B (mm) | Chamfer r min (mm) | Basic dynamic load rating Cr (kN) | Basic static load rating C0r (kN) | Limiting speed grease (rpm) | Mass (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6800 | 10 | 19 | 5 | 0.3 | 1.74 | 0.865 | 22000 | 0.0053 |
| 6801 | 12 | 21 | 5 | 0.3 | 1.92 | 1.04 | 20000 | 0.0060 |
| 6802 | 15 | 24 | 5 | 0.3 | 2.08 | 1.27 | 17000 | 0.0071 |
| 6803 | 17 | 26 | 5 | 0.3 | 2.21 | 1.46 | 15000 | 0.0077 |
| 6804 | 20 | 32 | 7 | 0.3 | 4.03 | 2.60 | 13000 | 0.019 |
| 6805 | 25 | 37 | 7 | 0.3 | 4.36 | 3.10 | 11000 | 0.022 |
| 6806 | 30 | 42 | 7 | 0.3 | 4.49 | 3.45 | 9500 | 0.026 |
| 6807 | 35 | 47 | 7 | 0.3 | 4.62 | 3.75 | 8500 | 0.029 |
| 6808 | 40 | 52 | 7 | 0.3 | 4.94 | 4.30 | 7500 | 0.033 |
| 6809 | 45 | 58 | 7 | 0.3 | 6.63 | 6.10 | 6700 | 0.038 |
| 6810 | 50 | 65 | 7 | 0.3 | 6.76 | 6.55 | 6300 | 0.049 |
| 6811 | 55 | 72 | 9 | 0.3 | 9.56 | 9.50 | 5600 | 0.075 |
| 6812 | 60 | 78 | 10 | 0.3 | 11.9 | 11.4 | 5300 | 0.096 |
| 6813 | 65 | 85 | 10 | 0.6 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 5000 | 0.110 |
| 6814 | 70 | 90 | 10 | 0.6 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 4500 | 0.120 |
| 6815 | 75 | 95 | 10 | 0.6 | 13.0 | 14.6 | 4300 | 0.125 |
| 6816 | 80 | 100 | 10 | 0.6 | 13.3 | 15.6 | 4000 | 0.135 |
| 6817 | 85 | 110 | 13 | 1 | 19.5 | 22.4 | 3800 | 0.250 |
| 6818 | 90 | 115 | 13 | 1 | 19.9 | 23.6 | 3600 | 0.265 |
| 6819 | 95 | 120 | 13 | 1 | 20.3 | 24.5 | 3400 | 0.275 |
| 6820 | 100 | 125 | 13 | 1 | 20.8 | 26.0 | 3200 | 0.290 |
