Bearing alloys

A stationary bearing should possess least friction between the bearing and the rotating part for better result. The wear of the contacting metals is made as low as possible and made strong enough to withstand pressures that arise from small misalignments. For preventing seizures, stationary bearing melting point should be low. To make friction and wear low, a thin film of lubricating oil is introduced between bearing and the rotating part. Soft and low melting alloys are preferred to deal with pressure and melting related issues. Normally a soft matrix bearing alloy in which hard particles are incorporated is a preferred choice. Babbits or white metals are used for this purpose. Normally babbits are either lead-based or tin-based alloys. Addition of small amount of arsenic increases the pressure withstanding power of alloys. Bronze bearings are normal choice when we have to deal with high bearing loads. Some other commonly used bearings are aluminium based and silver based.