Babbitt metal

Babbitt metal
Metall.
1. any of various alloys of tin with smaller amounts of antimony and copper, used as an antifriction lining for bearings.
2. any of various similar alloys.
[1870-75, Amer.; named after Isaac Babbitt (1799-1862), American inventor]

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also spelled  Babbit Metal,  

      any of several tin- or lead-based alloys used as bearing material for axles and crankshafts, based on the tin alloy invented in 1839 by Isaac Babbitt for use in steam engines. Modern babbitts provide a low-friction lining for bearing shells made of stronger metals such as cast iron, steel, or bronze. They may be made of: (1) high-tin alloys with small quantities of antimony and copper; (2) high-lead alloys containing antimony, arsenic, and tin; and (3) intermediate tin-lead alloys with antimony and copper.

      The small quantities of hard metal in a soft matrix of tin or lead create a material strong enough to bear relatively high speeds and loads yet soft enough to embed dirt or other intrusions and not seize up on a spinning shaft in case of lubrication failure. Tin babbitts can be used at higher temperatures than the cheaper lead alloys, but most babbitts cannot endure prolonged use in high-performance internal-combustion engines, for which bearings are now made with linings of copper and aluminum alloys.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Babbitt metal — Babbitt metal, also called white metal, is an alloy used to provide the bearing surface in a plain bearing. It was invented in 1839 by Isaac Babbitt [The Timetables of Science|pages=305] in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. The term is used today to… …   Wikipedia

  • Babbitt metal — ☆ Babbitt metal n. [after Isaac Babbitt (1799 1862), U.S. inventor] a soft white metal of tin, lead, copper, and antimony in various proportions, used to reduce friction as in bearings …   English World dictionary

  • Babbitt metal — Bab bitt met al [From the inventor, Isaac Babbitt of Massachusetts.] A soft white alloy of variable composition (as a nine parts of tin to one of copper, or of fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and one of copper) used in bearings to diminish …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Babbitt metal — Babbitt metal. См. Баббит. (Источник: «Металлы и сплавы. Справочник.» Под редакцией Ю.П. Солнцева; НПО Профессионал , НПО Мир и семья ; Санкт Петербург, 2003 г.) …   Словарь металлургических терминов

  • Babbitt metal — noun an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces friction • Syn: ↑babbitt • Derivationally related forms: ↑babbitt (for: ↑babbitt) • Hypernyms: ↑alloy, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • babbitt metal — /ˈbæbət mɛtl/ (say babuht metl) noun 1. an antifriction metal, an alloy of tin, antimony, lead, and copper, used for bearings, etc. 2. any of various similar alloys. {named after Isaac Babbitt, 1799–1862, US inventor} …  

  • babbitt metal — noun a soft alloy of tin, antimony, copper, and usually lead, used to line bearings. Origin C19: named after Isaac Babbitt, the American inventor …   English new terms dictionary

  • Babbitt metal — Bab′bitt met al n. mel any of various alloys of tin with smaller amounts of antimony and copper, used as an antifriction lining for bearings • Etymology: 1870–75; after Isaac Babbitt (1799–1862), U.S. inventor …   From formal English to slang

  • babbitt metal — See babbitt …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • babbitt metal — noun A soft white alloy of variable composition (as a nine parts of tin to one of copper, or of fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and one of copper) used in bearings to diminish friction …   Wiktionary

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