Fundamental studies by SKF researchers showed that non-metallic inclusions in bearing steel lower material properties such as fatigue life. Since these findings our priority has been to decrease the amount of oxidic inclusions in the final product. As a result, the total oxygen content in bearing steel during the last ten years has steadily decreased. In 1986, only 1percent of the heats had an oxygen content lower than 6 ppm. By 1996 that figure had risen to 94percent (Figure 1). The average total oxygen content today is 5 ppm with a standard deviation of 0.64 ppm.
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