Patent ID: 8371758

Claim:
A rolling contact member in a rolling bearing, the rolling contact member being one of a race member and a rolling element disposed in contact with said race member on an annular raceway, the rolling contact member being formed of a sintered body that contains as a main component β-sialon represented by a compositional formula of Si 6-Z Al Z O Z N 8-Z and satisfying 0.1≦z≦3.5 and that has a remainder formed of an impurity, the rolling contact member having a Young's modulus of 180 GPa or greater but 270 GPa or smaller, wherein the rolling contact member has a rolling contact surface serving as a surface contacting another rolling contact member, said rolling contact surface being included in a portion having a high density layer higher in density than an inner portion, and said high density layer has a surface included in a portion having a higher density layer higher in density than another portion of said high density layer.