CERAMIC ROLLING ELEMENT RAW MATERIAL, ITS MANUFACTURE AND ROLLING ELEMENT USING IT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the occurrence of ring-like abrasion by specifying the width of a band-like section and the height from the side face of the band-like section to the surface of a spherical section in a ceramic rolling element raw material having the band-like section on the surface of the spherical section. SOLUTION: This ceramic rolling element raw material 1 has a band-like section 1b on the surface of a spherical section 1a, the width (h) of the band-like section 1b is set to 0.1 mm or above and 1/2 or below of the diameter (d) of the spherical section 1a, and height (j) from the side face of the band-like section 1b to the surface of the spherical section 1a is set to 0.05 mm or above. A compact having the band-like section 1b is obtained by upper and lower punches 2, 3 each having a spherical recessed face 2a on the center section of a pressing face and a flat section 2b on an outer periphery and a die 20, it is baked after cold isotropic pressure molding, and it is applied with a hot isotropic pressure process to manufacture the raw material 1. The surface is polished, and the band-like section 1b is removed to obtain a rolling element. The spherical section 1a is formed on a press face for near net molding near a final product shape, a granular collapse on the outer periphery of the compact is improved, and peripheral abrasion can be suppressed.