Abstract
Babbitt alloy is a widely used bearing material. In order to improve its thermal and anti-fatigue performance, the combined effect of additive La and heat treatment of tin-Babbitt were studied. The microhardness, wettability, and tribological performances of the Babbitt were first considered. The Babbitt alloy modified with La element (0.1 wt%) was prepared and then heat treatment was carried out (marked by the modified Babbitt). The friction and wear performances of the bare Babbitt, heated Babbitt, and modified Babbitt were conducted by a ball-on-disc tester under oil lubricated condition. The results showed that the microstructure of the modified Babbitt alloy was homogeneous. The cubic phase of SnSb intermetallic was refined and the SnSb cubes were also passivated. The microhardness of the modified Babbitt increased from 24.67 Hv to 37.84 Hv and wettability was improved with the addition La and heat treatment. Therefore, the anti-wear performance of the Babbitt was improved. The modified Babbitt alloy is observed to resist the instant scratching from the journal.
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