420C Stainless Steel

Deciding on the right guide of steel ball for your specific application can be a difficult task. Here at Global Precision, we are happy to make recommendations so that you can find the right bearing. We use a variety of different materials for our steel balls. One of our more versatile options is the 420C stainless steel. This option is similar to 420 steel but has an increased amount of chromium. This allows the ball bearing to have even more corrosion resistance and toughness.

Composition & Properties

When deciding which metal ball bearing is best for your application, it is important to look at the chemical makeup. Today, engineers and manufacturers can manipulate and combine a variety of metallic elements to form one specialized material, referred to as an alloy. They do this with specific functionalities and use cases in mind.

420C stainless steel’s properties include the following elements:

1. Carbon – .45%
2. Manganese – .80% 
3. Chromium – 13%
4. Silicon – .80%
5. Nickel – <.50%

The composition of 420C stainless steel leaves you with a material that is between 56-58 on the hardness scale. It can handle up to 275,000 psi.