Christopher DellaCorte and Walter A. Wozniak

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Design and Manufacturing Considerations for 

Shockproof and Corrosion-Immune Superelastic 

Nickel-Titanium Bearings for a Space Station

Application

NASA/TM—2012-216015

May 2012
NASA STI Program . . . in Profi le

Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to the 

advancement of aeronautics and space science. The 

NASA Scientifi c and Technical Information (STI) 

program plays a key part in helping NASA maintain 

this important role.

The NASA STI Program operates under the auspices 

of the Agency Chief Information Offi cer. It collects, 

organizes, provides for archiving, and disseminates 

NASA’s STI. The NASA STI program provides access 

to the NASA Aeronautics and Space Database and 

its public interface, the NASA Technical Reports 

Server, thus providing one of the largest collections 

of aeronautical and space science STI in the world. 

Results are published in both non-NASA channels 

and by NASA in the NASA STI Report Series, which 

includes the following report types:

• TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports of 

completed research or a major signifi cant phase 

of research that present the results of NASA 

programs and include extensive data or theoretical 

analysis. Includes compilations of signifi cant 

scientifi c and technical data and information 

deemed to be of continuing reference value. 

NASA counterpart of peer-reviewed formal 

professional papers but has less stringent 

limitations on manuscript length and extent of 

graphic presentations.

• TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Scientifi c 

and technical fi ndings that are preliminary or 

of specialized interest, e.g., quick release 

reports, working papers, and bibliographies that 

contain minimal annotation. Does not contain 

extensive analysis.

• CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientifi c and 

technical fi ndings by NASA-sponsored 

contractors and grantees.

• CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected 

papers from scientifi c and technical 

conferences, symposia, seminars, or other 

meetings sponsored or cosponsored by NASA.

• SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientifi c, 

technical, or historical information from 

NASA programs, projects, and missions, often 

concerned with subjects having substantial 

public interest.

• TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. Englishlanguage translations of foreign scientifi c and 

technical material pertinent to NASA’s mission.

Specialized services also include creating custom 

thesauri, building customized databases, organizing 

and publishing research results.

For more information about the NASA STI 

program, see the following:

• Access the NASA STI program home page at 

http://www.sti.nasa.gov

• E-mail your question via the Internet to help@

sti.nasa.gov

• Fax your question to the NASA STI Help Desk 

at 443–757–5803

• Telephone the NASA STI Help Desk at

 443–757–5802

• Write to:

 NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI)

 7115 Standard Drive

 Hanover, MD 21076–1320
Christopher DellaCorte and Walter A. Wozniak

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Design and Manufacturing Considerations for 

Shockproof and Corrosion-Immune Superelastic 

Nickel-Titanium Bearings for a Space Station

Application

NASA/TM—2012-216015

May 2012

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Glenn Research Center

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

Prepared for the

41st Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium

cosponsored by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

Pasadena, California, May 16–18, 2012
Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) and the

NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program (Subsonic Rotary Wing Project). Their continued funding and

technical and programmatic guidance has contributed greatly to bringing this new technology

from the lab and closer to commercialization.

Available from

NASA Center for Aerospace Information

7115 Standard Drive

Hanover, MD 21076–1320

National Technical Information Service

5301 Shawnee Road

Alexandria, VA 22312

Available electronically at http://www.sti.nasa.gov

Trade names and trademarks are used in this report for identifi cation 

only. Their usage does not constitute an offi cial endorsement, 

either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration.

This work was sponsored by the Fundamental Aeronautics Program 

at the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Level of Review: This material has been technically reviewed by technical management. 

This report is a formal draft or working 

paper, intended to solicit comments and 

ideas from a technical peer group.

This report contains preliminary fi ndings, 

subject to revision as analysis proceeds.

This report is a preprint of a paper intended for presentation at a conference. 

Because changes may be made before formal publication, this preprint is made available 

with the understanding that it will not be cited or reproduced without 

the permission of the author.
NASA/TM—2012-216015 1 

Design and Manufacturing Considerations for Shockproof and 

Corrosion-Immune Superelastic Nickel-Titanium Bearings 

for a Space Station Application 

Christopher DellaCorte and Walter A. Wozniak 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Glenn Research Center 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Abstract 

An intermetallic nickel-titanium alloy, 60NiTi (60wt%Ni, 40wt%Ti), is a promising tribological 

material for space mechanisms. 60NiTi offers a broad combination of physical properties that make it 

unique among bearing materials. 60NiTi is hard, electrically conductive, highly corrosion resistant, 

readily machined prior to final heat treatment, easily lubricated and is non-magnetic. It also falls within 

the class of superelastic alloys and can elastically endure large strains (beyond 5 percent) making it highly 

resistant to excessive and unexpected (shock) loads. Key material properties and characteristics such as 

elastic modulus, tensile fracture sensitivity and residual stress behavior, however, differ from 

conventional alloys such as steel and this significantly affects bearing design and manufacturing. In this 

paper, the preliminary design and manufacture of ball bearings made from 60NiTi are considered for a 

highly corrosive, lightly loaded, low speed bearing application found inside the International Space 

Station’s water recycling system. The information presented is expected to help guide more widespread 

commercialization of this new technology into space mechanism and other applications. 

Introduction 

Recent research on binary nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) alloys has identified them as promising candidates 

for bearings and mechanical components (Ref. 1). The nickel-rich alloy, 60NiTi in particular, exhibits a 

remarkable combination of properties and characteristics relevant to rolling element bearings for space 

mechanism applications. For instance, 60NiTi is hard, electrically conductive, highly corrosion resistant, 

readily machined prior to final heat treatment, easily lubricated and is non-magnetic (Refs. 2 and 3). 

60NiTi is also in the family of superelastic alloys and can elastically endure large strains (beyond 

5 percent) making it highly resistant to shock loads. Table I lists many of these properties as they are 

currently known alongside the conventional shape memory alloy 55NiTi and more traditional bearing 

materials. As an emerging material, some of these published properties are estimated or preliminary. 

Shock loading is a significant design challenge for space mechanisms. On orbit bearing loads, in the 

absence of gravity tend to be very low but the severe launch vibration environment can lead to bearing 

damage through the Brinell effect in which hard rolling elements dent more vulnerable races (Ref. 4). For 

applications that demand long life and ultra smooth operation, such Brinell damage can be catastophic. In 

such cases, great care is taken using vibration isolation features and tie-down systems to avoid the 

problem. These add weight and complexity. At times, load capacity design margins are increased for 

bearings and this leads to increased mass and power consumption. Clearly, the development of more 

resilient bearings is an advantage for aerospace bearings and mechanisms. 

Recent investigations into the hardness and Brinell damage sensitivity of 60NiTi show a potential 

pathway to engineer ball bearings that are highly resistant to indentation damage (Ref. 1). In preliminary 

indentation tests either Si3N4 or 60NiTi balls (12.7 mm diameter) were pressed into flat plates made from 

60NiTi and the bearing alloys 440C, M50, and Stellite 6B. Initial experiments were carried out at light 

loads that were increased on subsequent trials. In this manner, both the classic Brinell Hardness Number 

 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 2 

TABLE I.—REPRESENTATIVE THERMOPHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BEARING MATERIALS 

Property 60NiTi 55NiTi 440C Si3N4 M-50 

Density 6.7 g/cc 6.5 g/cc 7.7 g/cc 3.2 g/cc 8.0 g/cc 

Hardness 56 to 62 Rc 35 to 40 Rc 58 to 62 Rc 1300 to 1500 Hv 60 to 65 Rc 

Thermal 

conductivity 

W/m-°K 

18 9 24 33 ~36 

Thermal expansion ~1010–6/°C ~1010–6/°C 1010–6/°C 2.610–6 ~1110–6/°C 

Magnetic Non Non Magnetic Non Magnetic 

Corrosion resistance Excellent Excellent Marginal Excellent Poor 

Tensile/Flexural 

strength 

~1000 MPa ~900 MPa 1900 MPa 600 to 1200 MPa 

(Bend strength) 

2500 MPa 

Young’s modulus ~114 GPa ~100 GPa 200 GPa 310 GPa 210 GPa 

Poisson’s ratio ~0.34 ~0.34 0.3 0.27 0.30 

Fracture toughness TBD TBD 22 MPa/√m 5 to 7 MPa/√m 20 to 23 MPa/√m 

Max. use temp ~400 °C ~400 °C ~400 °C ~1100 °C ~400 °C 

Elect. resistivity ~8010–6 Ω-cm ~8010–6 Ω-cm ~3610–6 Ω-cm Insulator ~6010–6 Ω-cm 

TBD means “to be determined” 

TABLE II.—HERTZ CONTACT STRESSES AND CONTACT DIAMETER AT THE THRESHOLD LOAD 

FOR VARIOUS PLATE AND INDENTER MATERIAL COMBINATIONS 

Plate Indenter Threshold load, kgf 

(lbs) 

Peak stress, GPa 

(ksi) 

Contact diameter, mm 

(in.) 

Avg. stress, GPa 

(ksi) 

Stellite 6B Si3N4 10 (22) 2.06 (299) 0.30 (0.012) 1.37 (199) 

440C Si3N4 51 (112) 3.48 (504) 0.52 (0.021) 2.32 (336) 

M50 Si3N4 150 (331) 5.09 (738) 0.74 (0.029) 3.39 (491) 

60NiTi Si3N4 a552 (1214) 5.56 (806) 1.36 (0.054) 3.71 (537) 

Stellite 6B 60NiTi 15 (33) 1.56 (226) 0.42 (0.017) 1.04 (151) 

440C 60NiTi 150 (331) 3.33 (483) 0.92 (0.036) 2.22 (322) 

M50 60NiTi 501 (1102) 5.02 (728) 1.37 (0.054) 3.35 (486) 

60NiTi 60NiTi 1512 (3327) 5.90 (856) 2.19 (0.086) 3.94 (571) a

Using 1.2 m (50 in.) dent depth fatigue criterion. Threshold load is ~360 kgf (~800 lb) using more stringent 0.6 m (25 in.) 

dent depth criterion for quiet running bearing. 

(BHN) and the threshold load to achieve the first observable dent was obtained. The data, tabulated in 

Table II, shows that 60NiTi provides significantly more static load capacity (higher threshold load) than 

the other materials tested. 

The reasons for this behavior are complex and discussed in detail in Reference 1 but briefly, the large 

elastic deformation range of 60NiTi combined with its high hardness and relatively low elastic modulus 

result in an increased contact area, reduced peak and average stresses and enhanced static load capacity. 

Given these somewhat unexpected results and capabilities, the next logical steps are to design and 

fabricate bearings from 60NiTi for evaluation. 

Bearing design and manufacturing is a field that is mature and well developed for steels and, in the 

case of rolling elements (balls and rollers), silicon nitride ceramics. 60NiTi is a superelastic material in 

the class of intermetallics (neither a metal or ceramic with respect to atomic bonding) and has key 

physical properties and attributes that differ from the traditional bearing materials. Among the relevant 

differences are a relatively low elastic modulus, limited tensile ductility (a tendency for brittle failure in 

tension), and a requirement for a rapid quench during heat treatment which leads to significant residual 

stresses. These three key differences along with other second order attributes affect bearing design and 

manufacturing processes. 

The following sections describe the general design and manufacturing process for 60NiTi bearings by 

considering a specfic space mechanism bearing application; the Distillation Assembly (DA) centrifuge 

that is part of the ISS Environmental Control System (ECLSS) on the International Space Station (ISS). 

The ball bearings used in this application operate in a highly corrosive environment at low speed under 

very low average loads thus fatigue is not a great concern. However, the bearings must endure high 

launch loads without damage. Based upon preliminary data, 60NiTi appears to be a viable candidate 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 3 

bearing material. This paper lays out the design process and the results of pathfinder manufacturing 

investigations to develop a more generalized methodlology for incorporating superelastic materials into 

space mechanisms. 

Materials and Procedures 

Bearing grade 60NiTi is manufactured via a proprietary high-temperature powder metallurgy (PM) 

process roughly similar to that described in the literature (Ref. 5). Pre-alloyed 60NiTi powder is hot isostatic pressed (HIPed) into various shapes and sizes depending upon the desired end product. To make 

60NiTi balls, the powder is HIPed into rough, spherical ball blanks that were then ground, polished and 

lapped. Because the PM process yields ball blanks that have isotropic mechanical properties high quality 

(Grade 5) bearing balls can be readily produced. The finished 60NiTi ball specimens, shown in the 

photograph in Figure 1, are bright and shiny in appearance and resemble conventional polished steel balls. 

To make other shapes such as bearing races and mechanical and thermo-physical property 

measurement specimens, 60NiTi rods and ingots were first made using the same PM process. Figure 2 

shows such specimens produced by the PM process. 

Once the ingots and other shapes are produced, a series of steps that include wire electrode discharge 

machining (EDM), conventional machining using carbide tools and grinding are employed. A multi-step 

thermal process (heat treatment) generally occurs after rough machining to near final dimensions but 

before final grinding and polishing in the case of balls and bearing raceways. For parts that are not 

dimensionally critical, simple wear plates for example, final grinding after heat treatment may be 

unnecessary. 

A typical heat treatment includes solution treating at 1000 C in vacuum or inert gas atmosphere 

followed by a rapid quench in water. The solution treating dissolves precipitate phases like Ni4Ti3 and 

Ni3Ti forming the preferable NiTi phase. Rapid quenching locks in the dominant NiTi phase and 

discourages the formation of the other phases that can lead to brittleness and low hardness. Details 

regarding the processing and resulting properties are the subject of ongoing research and are partially 

described elsewhere (Ref. 6, to be published). Using the generalized processes described above, 

specimens are being fabricated to enable rolling contact fatigue stress limits, bend strength, Charpy 

impact toughness, compressive strength and thermal properties such as thermal expansion, thermal 

conductivity and thermal diffusivity. This data will be available in the future but initial bearing design can 

proceed using information available and estimated. 

 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 4 

Design and Manufacturing Considerations 

A baseline bearing can be designed using the preliminary and estimated 60NiTi materials properties. 

This design can then be reviewed and analyzed for its general appropriateness the DA bearing application. 

Using the preliminary design, a manufacturing method must be then developed and tested. Since key 

structural properties of 60NiTi differ from bearing steel (notably the elastic modulus is low and high 

machining forces are needed for material removal), the manufacturing process and tooling may differ 

from the norm. If the manufacturing investigation identifies design deficiencies it can be revised in an 

iterative manner. Further, as additional material properties are obtained, such as rolling contact fatigue 

stress limits, the design can be revisited. The following sections expand upon the preliminary design 

analysis and a pathfinder manufacturing trial. 

Results and Discussion 

The DA bearing application currently under consideration is characterized as highly corrosive and 

mechanically benign. The bearings are nominally 50 mm bore deep groove ball bearings operating at low 

speed (a few hundred rpm) under very modest axial preload. In space, there is virtually no imposed radial 

load. Table III gives the representative baseline bearing conditions. 

When reviewing the data and parameters in Table III it becomes clear that the environmental stresses 

on the bearings, namely the warm and highly acidic environment, far outpace the modest mechanical 

loads and stresses. In fact, during early system development, the originally specified martensitic stainless 

steel bearings (440C) experienced unacceptable surface corrosion. Following bench top corrosion studies 

in a simulated environment, the steel bearings were replaced with the cobalt race-Si3N4 ball hybrid 

bearing design as a baseline. 

Figure 3(a) shows a photograph of the DA assembly during ground tests. This device is essentially a 

rotating drum evaporator that utilizes a belt drive to provide a low pressure, warm internal chamber that 

boils wastewater on the ISS. The steam coming off of the drum section is collected and condensed and is 

then further treated before re-use. Further details of this system can be found in the literature (Refs. 7 to 

9). In cross section (Figure 3(b) shows a representative design), the subject rotor system is a simple 

configuration of two shielded ball bearings that are lightly spring preloaded and operate in the warm, 

moist and acidic environment. 

TABLE III.—REPRESENTATIVE APPLICATION BEARING PARAMETERS 

AND OPERATING CONDITIONS

Parameter Value or Condition 

Outer diameter, O.D. ~80 mm 

Inner diameter, I.D. ~50 mm 

Width, W ~16 mm 

Ball size, D ~9 mm 

Ball material Si3N4

Race material Cobalt alloy 

Cage Snap fit, polymer 

Lubricant Lithium based grease 

Ball-race stress limit ~2 MPa 

Ball-race mean stress ~1 MPa 

Axial preload ~200 N 

Radial load (terrestrial) ~100 N/bearing 

Speed 100 to 300 rpm 

Environment Warm, highly acidic aqueous solution 

Ambient pressure Slight vacuum 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 5 

 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 6 

Figure 4 shows a photograph of the centrifuge bearings after removal from service. The bearings are a 

straight ball bearing design and utilize a cobalt alloy for the races and silicon nitride for the balls to 

achieve maximum corrosion resistance. 

The performance of the current DA bearings has not been completely satisfactory. The very first 

system launched suffered from raceway damage that occurred during bearing assembly and installation. 

Though this damage did not result in system failure, long life could not be assured. The second system 

launched was returned to earth after a short period of use for repair of an unrelated system component. 

During a routine bearing inspection significant race wear was observed. Figure 5 shows a photograph of 

the surface of a worn inner race in which the ball has created a pronounced wear track. 

The wear was attributed to the lack of hardness of the cobalt-based races compared to the ceramic 

balls. The bearings still functioned, but again, long-life was not assured. It is these shortcomings of the 

current bearing race materials that provides the impetus to consider 60NiTi. Among the first material 

selection criteria to be assessed is corrosion resistance to the process fluid. 

A variety of candidate bearing alloys including steel, 60NiTi and the baseline cobalt alloy were 

evaluated for corrosion resistance. In this test, ball sized specimens were immersed in a warm and highly 

acidic aqueous solution that simulates the application. The specimens were weighed before and after 

exposure for times up to one week and the immersion fluid was analyzed to determine its metal ion 

content as a means to assess corrosion behavior of the alloys. Table IV shows a summary of the results. 

Not surprisingly, the corrosion resistance of 60NiTi is excellent. Unlike stainless steels, nickel and 

cobalt alloys do not rely upon the formation of chrome rich passivation layers for their corrosion 

resistance. Rather, such alloys employ intrinsically corrosion resistant constituents in their chemistry. For 

Ni-Ti alloys, such as 60NiTi, both nickel and titanium are regarded as highly immune to aqueous acidic 

corrosion thus the corrosion resistance for the alloy is to be expected. For corroboration, the current cobalt 

alloy bearing races have not shown any evidence of corrosion problems even after months of service. 

Since the 60NiTi fares better, in terms of corrosion, than the current cobalt alloy is it justifiable to expect 

the superelastic bearings will not suffer corrosion. In terms of mechanical properties, however, deeper 

consideration is warranted. 

The bulk hardness of 60NiTi (Table I) ranges from Rc 58 to 63 depending upon the heat treatment 

employed and the dimensions and geometry of the specimen. This is comparable to traditional bearing 

steels and much harder than the baseline cobalt alloy race material. Rolling and sliding wear tests of 

60NiTi under dry and grease lubricated conditions yield tribological behavior comparable to that for 

hardened bearing steels like 440C (Refs. 2 and 3). For these reasons, the wear observed in the current 

bearings is not expected for bearings made from the much harder 60NiTi. 60NiTi, however, has a much 

lower elastic modulus than both traditional steels and the cobalt alloy. This could affect bearing operation. 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 7 

TABLE IV.—CORROSION MASS LOSS FOR BALLS (12.7 mm DIAMETER) 

SOAKED IN SIMULATED DA SOLUTION (115 hr, 65 C, pH 1.0) 

M50 tool steel 27,600 g 

Cobalt alloy 389 g 

60NiTi 224 g 

The elastic modulus for 60NiTi closely resembles titanium and is less than half that of steel and 

superalloys (Table I). Thus under load, one expects to encounter deformations and deflections that are 

approximately twice the level of comparable steel or superalloy components. For mechanical systems in 

which rigidity and position control is paramount, such a change in elastic behavior can be a design 

challenge. In a bearing, the radial and axial stiffness are direct functions of the material elastic modulus 

and thus shaft deflections, for a given load, will increase when going to a superelastic bearing design. At 

the ball-race contact within a bearing, the lower modulus results in larger hertz contact areas and 

commensurately lower stresses. Recently reported analyses of 60NiTi roller bearings suggest that 

comparing all steel to all 60NiTi cases can be complex (Ref. 10). The reduced modulus of 60NiTi can be 

viewed as a higher compliance. Under load in a full bearing system, every rolling element deforms to a 

higher degree than a steel roller and thus shares the bearing load more readily with its neighboring rolling 

elements. This effectively reduces the load on each rolling element and may actually increase the ultimate 

load capacity beyond that estimated from the static load capacity data contained in Table II. 

From a design perspective, larger contact areas, lower stresses and higher deflections arising from the 

use of low modulus materials implies that the a careful and thorough detailed design review must be 

undertaken for all highly loaded bearing applications especially those in which precise orbit control and 

positioning is vital. For the DA bearing application, the loads are very low and the positioning (bearing 

stiffness) requirements are minimal. The only continuous loads on the bearings arise from spring preload 

washers and modest fluid motion-dynamic unbalance forces during normal rotation (relatively low speed 

of 200 rpm). For completeness, a cursory design stress and stiffness review was done and it concluded 

that from a mechanical perspective, for this application, the elastic modulus of the bearing race material is 

not a critical parameter as long as the static load capacity exceeds that of the baseline superalloy and it 

does (Table II). 

Based upon the results from the mechanical loads and stresses review and the preliminary corrosion 

studies, it appears that a 60NiTi bearing utilizing the very same geometry and dimensions as the cobalthybrid baseline design is a good initial baseline design to consider for manufacturability. Before a 

manufacturing pathfinder trial can begin, a computer-generated model of the target bearing was 

developed. This model helps the manufacturing engineer visualize the bearing geometry and devise a 

manufacturing plan. The bearing model is shown in Figure 6. 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 8 

The manufacture of 60NiTi balls is a fully commercialized process and many standard ball sizes are 

available. The steps needed to make precise raceways from 60NiTi to a desired geometry are not yet fully 

developed. Decades of experience with various steels has resulted in numerous rules-of-thumb (ROT) for 

their manufacture. Preferred annealing, rough machining, hard turning, heat treatment, grinding, 

polishing, acidic surface passivation, normalizing and other processes for steels are well understood and 

accepted by the manufacturing community. For 60NiTi these ROT’s remain undefined. The following 

paragraphs attempt to layout an acceptable, by not necessarily an optimal, processing path driven by 

60NiTi’s several unique properties and characteristics, namely its low elastic modulus, resistance to metal 

cutting and deformation (i.e., low ductility), and its intrinsically brittle tensile behavior. 

The basic manufacturing steps employed to go from ingots to finished bearings are as follows: rough 

machining to near final shape and size using a combination of wire electro discharge machining (EDM) 

and carbide tool based machining, heat treating to develop high hardness, finish grinding and polishing. 

Because 60NiTi exhibits limited ductility and is susceptible to brittle tensile behavior, heavy machining 

operations such as drilling, high removal turning and milling should be avoided. Instead, we have 

successfully employed a combination of plunge and wire EDM to generate simple blanks from larger 

ingots and these are then rough machined to near final shape using more conventional machining 

methods. Figure 7 shows a slice of 60NiTi made by wire EDM and subsequently cut into cylindrical 

(donut shaped) race blanks. The ingot, made by powder metallurgy has a rind and center core of steel with 

60NiTi filling the annular space. This is part of the PM process and enables more efficient use of the 

relatively high cost 60NiTi materials. 

The resulting ring blanks are then shaped into race rings using properly shaped carbide tooling 

through a plunge turning operation. With this operation, the ring inside diameter is first turned or ground 

to ensure it is uniform and close to finish dimension (within ~0.01 mm). The ring is then mounted on an 

expanding type mandrel and care is taken to avoid excessive clamping forces. Because the elastic 

modulus is half that of steel, excessive clamping force on the inside diameter can result in considerable 

stretching of the I.D. leading to unpredictable dimensions after turned race is removed from the mandrel. 

Once mounted, the O.D. is plunge turned using a carbide tool previously shaped to match the desired race 

ring profile. In our tests, we used wire EDM to manufacture the plunge tool from a standard carbide lathe 

bit. Figure 8 shows the process for turning an inner race ring prior to the heat treatment step. 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 9 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 10 

The final steps include heat treatment and finish grinding and lapping. The heat treatment has been 

described in detail in Reference 6 and briefly includes a solution treatment at 1000 C followed by a rapid 

water quenching. A vacuum or inert atmosphere is used to prevent excessive surface oxidation. Figure 9 

shows the microstructure of 60NiTi prior to and after heat treatment. The heat treatment dissolves 

undesirable higher order phases resulting in a largely homogenous NiTi phase structure with hardness in 

the range of 58 to 63 on the Rockwell C scale. 

After heat treatment, standard industry grinding and polishing are employed to yield a finished 

bearing. Care must be taken to avoid excessive tensile stresses during bearing assembly. Unlike steel that 

can endure high tensile deformation without fracture, 60NiTi is brittle in tension and outer races, in 

particular, can break during bearing assembly when hoop stresses are high. To overcome this problem, 

either separable bearing designs or the use of differential inner ring cooling and outer ring heating are 

recommended. Beyond that, no other special considerations are needed. Figure 10 shows a photograph of 

a finished hybrid bearing made with 60NiTi races and silicon nitride bearing balls. 

The bearings behave and perform as one expects based upon the geometry and lubricant selected. 

Future efforts to fully characterize the rolling contact fatigue stress-life relationships and gain a better 

understanding of the tensile strength and toughness behavior of 60 NiTi are underway to guide more 

mechanically demanding bearing applications. 
NASA/TM—2012-216015 11 

Summary Remarks 

60NiTi offers a viable path towards rolling element bearings that have exemplary corrosion and wear 

resistance. Though sensitive to brittle fracture in tension, research suggests that extreme static load 

capacity and resilience imparted by its superelastic behavior is possible. The reduced elastic modulus, 

compared to steel, may impact highly loaded bearing internal geometry but for the DA bearing 

application being considered, a direct 60NiTi replacement is reasonable. Lastly, manufacturing research 

shows that with proper care, modern manufacturing methods are capable of producing high precision ball 

bearings from 60NiTi. 

References 

1. C. DellaCorte, R.D. Noebe, M.K. Stanford, and S.A. Padula: “Resilient and Corrosion-Proof Rolling 

Element Bearings Made From Superelastic Ni-Ti Alloys for Aerospace Mechanism Applications,” 

NASA/TM-2011-217105, September 2012. 

2. C. DellaCorte, S.V. Pepper, R.D. Noebe, D.R. Hull, and G. Glennon: “Intermetallic Nickel-Titanium 

Alloys for Oil-Lubrication Bearing Applications,” NASA/TM-2009-215646, March 2009. 

3. S.V. Pepper, C. DellaCorte, R.D. Noebe, D.R. Hull, and G. Glennon: “Nitinol 60 as a Material for 

Spacecraft Triboelements,” ESMATS 13 Conference, Vienna, AUstria, September 2009. 

4. A. Palmgen: “Ball and Roller Bearing Engineering, Chapter 8, ”Bearing Failures,” pages 217-225, 3rd

Edition, SKF Industries, Philadelphia, PA, 1959. 

5. M.D. McNeese, D.C. Lagoudas, and T.C. Pollock: “Processing of TiNi from Elemental Powders by 

Hot Isostatic Pressing,” Materials Science and Engineering, A280 (2000), pages 334-348. 

6. M.K. Stanford, F. Thomas, and C. DellaCorte: “Processing Issues for Preliminary Melts of the 

Intermetallic Compound 60-NiTiNOL,” to be published, 2012. 

7. D.L. Carter: “Status of the Regenrative ECLSS Water Recovery System, SAE 2009-01-2352, 39th 

International Conference on Environmental Systems, July 12-16, Savannah, GA, 2009. 

8. C.D. Wingard: “Compatibility Testing of Polymeric Materials for the Urine Processor Assembly 

(UPA) of International Space Station (ISS),” NASA report 20030106448-2003127090, NASA 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, 2003. 

9. D.W. Holder and C.F. Hutchens: “Development Status of the International Space Station Urine 

Processor Assembly,” SAE 2003-01-2690, 33rd International Conference on Environmental Systems, 

July 7-10, Vancouver British Columbia, 2003. 

10. T.L. Krantz: “On Calculation Methods and Results for Straight Cylindrical Roller Bearing Deflection, 

Stiffness and Stress,” Proceedings of the ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical 

Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference IDETC/CIE 2011, August 29-

31, 2011, Washington, D.C., paper number DET2011-47930.