US Synthetic? Diamond Bearings: A Case Study

A chemical plant installed a US Synthetic? (USS) diamond bearing in a mixer earlier this year. This particular mixer handles a very difficult process for a product-lubricated bearing. The process fluid is hot, abrasive and has low viscosity, leading to marginal lubrication conditions.?

As you can see in the photo (below), the original bearings in this machine suffered catastrophic damage to the point where the bearing would shear in half. The life of the bearing until this occurred was generally less than 6 months. Because the plant wanted a much longer life, they upgraded the machine with a USS diamond bearing set supplied by Boulden.

Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) Bearings

Synthetic diamond is the hardest substance on earth; therefore, both rotating and stationary elements are fabricated with the synthetic diamond bearing elements (the round black circles on the components in the photo below). Unlike typical ceramic bearings, these components are durable with good impact resistance. They also have very low friction and excellent heat dissipation. In addition to having excellent abrasion resistance, these bearings can also handle high temperatures, poor lubricity, most chemicals, and rough operational conditions often experienced in rotating machines.

The Results So Far (h2)

The USS bearing set (below) has now been running for nearly 8 months with no degradation in mixer vibration, noise, or performance. A recent site inspection with a borescope suggests that the bearing is still in excellent condition. The performance to date is already far superior to the original bearing.

If you have a machine with a difficult product-lubricated bearing application, contact Boulden today. We can help you solve even the toughest problems with the help of our partners at US Synthetic.