Ball bearings are made up of three major components: an outer race, an inner race, and the balls. The inner race is a circular piece of material that is fixed in place. The balls rest on the inner race and are enclosed by the outer race. In the case of a skateboard wheel, the bearings are inserted into the wheel.
ceramic ball bearings are preferred by some skaters because it produces a smoother and faster ride with less effort being put in by the skater.
The basic function of any ball bearing is to reduce friction between the two elements because rolling things have less friction than the sliding things and the reason is not hard to fathom. If things were to slide instead of roll the entire surface of the two things sliding against each other would be in touch which means more friction and more resistance.
Nowadays a lot of ceramic ball bearings are being used since they are lighter than steel and generate less heat and hence can go faster than steel. The ceramic material can be silicon nitride or silicon carbide or zirconium.
ceramic ball bearings are also favored by many because they are cheaper to create than steel bearings. In addition, they are heat resistant and have a lower rate of thermal expansion. They are also less dense than steel bearings, meaning that the centrifugal force given off by the elements is not as high. This means they tend to have a longer life span than steel bearings. However, it should be noted that ceramic bearings are not as strong as steel bearings.
