Industrial Grade White Metal

Tin-lead and tin-copperA alloys such asA Babbitt metalA have a low melting point, which is ideal for use asA solder, but these alloys also have ideal characteristics forA plain bearings. Most importantly for bearings, the material should be hard and wear-resistant and have a low coefficient of friction. It must also be shock-resistant, tough and sufficiently ductile to allow for slight misalignment prior to running-in.

Pure metals are soft, tough and ductile with a high coefficient of friction.A IntermetallicA compounds are hard and wear-resistant but brittle. By themselves, these do not make ideal bearing materials.

Alloys consist of small particles of a hard compound embedded in the tough, ductile background of a solid solution. In service the latter can wear away slightly, leaving the hard compound to carry the load. This wear also provides channels to allow inA lubricantA (oils). All bearing metals containA antimonyA (Sb), which forms hard cubic crystals.