In a wash plant the bearing rusts faster than it wears, which makes 440C the cheapest fix that does not require changing the housing design. Mining & Aggregate duty is shock, abrasion and water sprays with little maintenance access; the material is what decides whether the bearing survives it.
| Industry duty | shock load from crusher jaws and falling ore, in continuous abrasive dust |
|---|---|
| Typical media | ore dust, slurry, water spray |
| Housing temperature | −20 to +120 °C |
| Material and grade | 440C martensitic stainless steel |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC |
| Temperature ceiling | 250 °C |
| Corrosion / chemical | fresh water, food and mild chemicals; pits in chlorides |
| Relative cost | ≈3× of a standard 52100 bearing |
A wash plant combines the two failure modes that kill bearings: water that never stops and grit that never stops. The water rusts the raceway during shutdowns and emulsifies the grease; the grit then grinds the rusted surface. 440C removes the first half of that pair, which is often enough because the seal is what limits the second.
| Position | Bearing type | Material / finish | Why it works there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wash screen bearing | Self-aligning roller | 440C on request, or 52100 with a heavy seal | Water plus grit; stainless races survive the ingress. |
| Dewatering pump | Deep groove ball | 440C, 2RS, C3 | A rust film on the raceway is the usual failure. |
| Slurry valve spindle | 440C bush | 440C bush or stem | Abrasion plus corrosion; stainless keeps the stem from seizing. |
| Material | Fit here | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| 440C | Best fit | Constant water with moderate chloride, where rust is the first failure. |
| 316 | Workable alternative | Acidic or high-chloride slurry, at half the capacity. |
| 100Cr6 / 52100 | Workable alternative | Dry plant, or a housing that can be purged with grease. |
It fixes the rust half. If the bearing is also wearing from grit, the seal and the grease purge have to be addressed first, or the stainless bearing fails just as fast.
440C unless the water is brackish or acidic. 316 doubles the corrosion resistance and halves the load rating.
It needs a grease that resists water washout — a calcium sulfonate complex or a lithium complex with good water resistance.
Hardness, temperature, corrosion and equivalents for 440C stainless.
Read →Typical duty, recommended types and suffixes for mining & aggregate.
Read →Crushers & screens — crusher, screen and conveyor pulley positions in hard-rock plant.
Read →Crusher bushes — cone crusher eccentric bushes, pitman seats and slow shaft bearings.
Read →Send the position, bore size, quantity and the medium it sees. We reply with the material certificate, clearance class, lubricant and price within 30 minutes on working days.