52100 Bearing Steel

52100 is a high-carbon, high-chromium bearing steel known for its high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and fatigue performance. After hardening and tempering, it can achieve very high hardness and good dimensional stability, making it particularly suitable for bearings, rolling elements, and precision mechanical components subjected to continuous friction and cyclic loading.

Appearance & Properties

Color: Silver-gray to dark gray

Density: Approx. 7.81 g/cm³

Hardness: Typically approx. 60–66 HRC after heat treatment

Corrosion Resistance: Poor

Machinability: Good when annealed; difficult after hardening

Wear Resistance: Excellent

Fatigue Resistance: Excellent

Weldability: Poor

Magnetism: Magnetic

Heat Treatment: Suitable for hardening, tempering, spheroidizing annealing, etc.

Surface Treatments: Black oxide, phosphating, plating, grinding, polishing, etc.

Typical Applications

52100 Bearing Steel is widely used in bearings, automotive systems, industrial machinery, precision transmissions, machine tools, and high-wear mechanical equipment.

Typical parts include bearing races, balls, rollers, precision shafts, wear-resistant sleeves, guide components, rollers, and high-hardness precision mechanical parts.

Advantages

• High hardness after heat treatment

• Excellent wear resistance

• Good rolling-contact fatigue performance

• Good dimensional stability

• Ideal for bearings and high-wear precision components

Limitations

• Poor corrosion resistance and requires appropriate rust protection

• Poor weldability

• Very difficult to CNC machine after hardening

• Final performance and dimensional accuracy are highly dependent on heat treatment