Will the presence of contaminants cause ball bearings to become noisy during operation?

The presence of pollutants may indeed cause noise in ball bearings during operation. Pollutants, such as dust, metal particles, impurities in grease, or corrosive substances, may enter the interior of bearings and interfere with their normal working condition. These pollutants will adhere to components such as balls, raceways, and retainers, increasing friction and wear, thereby causing vibration and noise.
Specifically, pollutants may damage the lubricating film inside the bearing, increasing direct contact between the ball and the raceway, resulting in abnormal friction sounds. In addition, pollutants may also get stuck between the ball and the raceway, resulting in stuck or uneven rolling, which will directly cause to the generation of noise. More seriously, long-term invasion and accumulation of pollutants may accelerate bearing wear and damage, shorten its service life, and increase maintenance costs.
Therefore, maintaining the cleanliness of ball bearings and their surrounding environment, preventing the invasion of pollutants, is one of the important measures to ensure the normal operation of bearings, reduce noise, and extend their service life.