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SINTYRON Si3n4 Ceramic Super Grinding Silicon Nitride Balls

Grinding silicon nitride balls requires ultra-precision diamond grinding, controlled lapping, and polishing to meet stringent tolerances. Advanced CNC grinding machines and CMP techniques are essential for achieving the required nanoscale smoothness and sphericity.

Email: sintyron@xtlceramic.com

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Si3n4 Ceramic Super Grinding Silicon Nitride Balls Description

Grinding silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) balls is a precision machining process used to achieve high

sphericity, surface finish, and dimensional accuracy for applications such as bearings, valves,

and aerospace components. Due to silicon nitride's extreme hardness (~1500 HV) and brittleness,

specialized grinding techniques are required.

Typical properties of silicon nitride material:

1. General Requirements for Si₃N₄ Balls (Final Product)
Parameter	Standard Grades (ISO 3290)	Ultra-Precision Grades
Diameter Tolerance	±0.5 µm (Grade 5)	±0.1 µm (Grade 3)
Sphericity (Roundness)	< 0.1 µm	< 0.05 µm
Surface Roughness (Ra)	< 0.02 µm	< 0.01 µm (mirror finish)
Waviness	< 0.05 µm	< 0.02 µm
Material Hardness	~1500 HV (Vickers)	Same
2：Critical Quality Control Metrics
Inspection Method	Measured Parameter	Acceptable Range
Roundness Tester (Talyrond)	Sphericity (∆r)	< 0.1 µm (Grade 5)
White-Light Interferometer	Surface Roughness (Ra)	< 0.02 µm
SEM/EDS Analysis	Subsurface cracks/defects	None allowed
Hardness Tester (Vickers)	Material Hardness	1400–1600 HV

1. Key Challenges in Grinding Si₃N₄ Balls

High Hardness: Requires diamond or CBN (cubic boron nitride) abrasives.

Brittleness: Risk of edge chipping or subsurface damage if grinding parameters are incorrect.

Tight Tolerances: Precision balls require Grade 3 to Grade 10 (ISO 3290) with:

Sphericity: < 0.1 µm for high-end bearings.

Surface Roughness (Ra): < 0.01 µm.

Diameter Tolerance: ±0.1 µm (for ultra-precision grades).

2. Grinding Process for Si₃N₄ Balls

A. Rough Grinding (Precision Shaping)

Abrasive: Diamond grinding wheels (resin or metal-bonded).

Method:

Lapping machines or ball grinding machines (e.g., Koyo, Peter Wolters).

Balls are rotated between two counter-rotating cast iron plates with abrasive slurry.

Goal: Achieve near-net shape (~5–10 µm oversize).

B. Fine Grinding (Semi-Finishing)

Abrasive: Finer diamond grit (D15–D7, ~15–7 µm).

Method:

Planetary ball grinders with controlled pressure.

Uses a ceramic-bonded diamond wheel for better surface finish.

Goal: Reduce sphericity error to < 1 µm.

C. Precision Lapping/Polishing (Final Finish)

Abrasive: Diamond or boron carbide (B₄C) slurry (0.5–3 µm grit).

Method:

Magnetic float polishing (for ultra-smooth finishes).

Chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) for mirror finishes.

Goal: Achieve Ra < 0.01 µm and sphericity < 0.1 µm.

Applications of Ground Si₃N₄ Balls

Hybrid Bearings (e.g., aerospace, machine tools)

High-Speed Spindles (CNC machines)

Valve Components (chemical pumps)

Medical Implants (due to biocompatibility)

Packing & Delivery

As a ceramic material, silicon nitride is quite fragile in a lot of cases. Our silicon nitride tube

are carefully handled to minimize damage during storage and transportation. Suitable

outer boxes and inner cushioning materials are used for Si3N4products, vacuum packing is

also engaged for some of the parts.

Company Profile

FAQ

Why us？
* Professional manufacturer since 1997.
* Strict quality control on production process and tolerance.
* Free samples available
* Customized production based on your drawing or specification
* On-time delivery and reliable support and service
* Inventory available for quick shipment
* We keep confidentiality of all the drawings and business information between us.

Are you a trading company or a manufacturer?
* We are a manufaturer.

Can you provide the free samples?
* Yes,we can offer free sample if we have it in stock,but the courier fee is to be collected.

Do you accept customized production based our specification?
* Yes,we offer OEM and ODM service. Just send us your drawing if you have it. If you don’t have a drawing, just tell us your idea,
we will work out the drawing for you.

What's the delivery time?
* 7 working days for standard products 30 days for customized products.

What is the MOQ?
* No limit to the quantity. We can offer the best proposal and solutions according to your condition.

What is the payment terms you accept?
* T/T,LC,Western Union,moneygram are acceptable.

How to deal with the faulty?
* Firstly, Our product are produced in strict quality control system and the defective rate will be less than 2%.
If there are problems with the product, we will provide free replacement.