FRICTION AND WEAR OF AL-ZN-PB BEARING ALLOY

A new kind of Al-Sn based alloy containing Pb has been designed. Its f riction and-wear behaviour was studied in comparison with that of SAE 660 bronze and ZA27 zinc alloy. The results showed that the addition o f Pb is effective in improving the antifrictional property of aluminum alloys. The Al-Zn-Pb alloy is superior to SAE 660 bronze and ZA27 all oy in wear resistance and antifriction; its load bearing capacity is h igher than that of SAE 660 bronze. Furthermore, Al-Zn-Pb alloy is supe rior to ZA27 alloy in corrosion resistance and dimensional stability. It is concluded that Al-Zn-Pb alloy has good bearing properties and co uld work under medium sliding speed at a higher load condition with lo wer cost; so using Al-Zn-Pb alloy to substitute for bronze to make som e sliding bearing parts has economical significance. The microstructur e and microhardness of Al-Zn-Pb and SAE 660 bronze have been examined in order to explain the mechanism of their friction and wear behaviour .