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Babbitt metal

Babbitt metal, is an antifriction metal alloy first produced by Isaac Babbitt in 1839. In present-day usage the term is applied to a whole class of silver-white bearing metals, or “white metals.” These alloys usually consist of relatively hard crystals embedded in a softer matrix, a structure important for machine bearings. They are composed primarily of tin, copper, and antimony, with traces of other metals added in some cases and lead substituted for tin in others.
Bearings used in large marine diesel engines are tin based babbitt metals. Lead content is a minimum. Tin based white metals have 4 times the load bearing characteristics and two and a half times the maximum surface speed of lead based white metals.

Tin-based white metal is an alloy with minimum 88% tin (Sn), the rest of the alloy composition is antimony (Sb), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and small amounts of other elements that are added to improve the fineness of the grain structure and homogeneity during the solidification process. This is important for the load carrying and sliding properties of the alloy. Lead (Pb) content in this alloy composition is an impurity, as the fatigue strength deteriorates with increasing lead content, which should not exceed 0.2 % of the cast alloy composition. Tin based white metal is used in the main bearings, crankpin bearings, crosshead bearings, guide shoes, camshaft bearings and thrust bearings because of its excellent load carrying and sliding properties.

Babbitt metal is soft and easily damaged, and seems at first sight an unlikely candidate for a bearing surface, but this appearance is deceptive. The structure of the alloy is made up of small hard crystals dispersed in a matrix of softer alloy. As the bearing wears the harder crystal is exposed, with the matrix eroding somewhat to provide a path for the lubricant between the high spots that provide the actual bearing surface.

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