# US 4,696,867 A · Aluminum based bearing alloys

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- Number: US 4,696,867 A
- Document ID: US4696867A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/583,198
- Filed: 1984-02-24
- Granted: 1987-09-29
- Earliest claimed: 1983-07-05
- Assignees: Aeplc
- Inventors: Barry J. Eastwood
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4696867A

## CPC

- C22C 21/003: {containing at least 2.6% of one or more of the elements: tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, and titanium}
- F16C 33/121: {Use of special materials}
- F02B 1/04: with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder
- Y10T 29/49984: and casting
- Y10T 428/12736: Al-base component
- Y10T 428/1275: Next to Group VIII or IB metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12757: Fe
- Y10T 428/12764: Next to Al-base component
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS
- F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An alloy for use as a bearing lining on a metal backing comprising, by weight, 1 to 11% silicon, 8 to 35% tin, and 0.2 to 3% copper, the balance being aluminum. The lining is first cast as a billet annealed, cold rolled, annealed and cold rolled a second time and then bonded to the metal backing. The lining optionally carries a soft overlay.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An alloy consisting essentially of from 3 to 5% by weight particulate silicon of a maximum particle size of 20 microns, from 8 to 20% by weight tin in continuous phase, about 60% of said silicon being incorporated in the tin phase and from 0.2 to 2% by weight copper, the balance being aluminium in continuous phase.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An alloy according to claim 1 comprising 4% by weight silicon, 10% by weight tin, and 1% by weight copper, the balance being aluminium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An alloy according to claim 1 further incorporating 0.05% by weight of a component selected from the group consisting of strontium and sodium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A composite strip for a plain bearing comprising a metal backing and a lining of an alloy as described in claim 1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A composite strip according to claim 4 wherein said metal backing comprises a steel backing, said strip further including a layer of aluminium or aluminium alloy between said backing and said lining.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A composite strip according to claim 4 further including an overlay on said lining, said overlay comprising an alloy selected from the group consisting of lead/tin, lead/tin/copper, tin/copper, tin/antimony, tin/copper/antimony and lead/tin/copper/antimony.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A composite strip according to claim 6 further including an interlayer between said lining and said overlay, said interlayer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, silver, cobalt, copper/zinc and copper/tin.

### Claim 8

A method of manufacturing a composite strip for a plain bearing which comprises:
casting a billet of a bearing alloy consisting essentially of from 3 to 5% by weight particulate silicon of a maximum particle size of 20 microns, from 8 to 20% by weight tin in continuous phase and from 0.2 to 3% copper, the balance being aluminium in continuous phase;
annealing said billet for a first time;
cold rolling said annealed billet for a first time to form a strip;
cladding one side of said strip with a layer of aluminium;
cold rolling said strip for a second time, down to the required final thickness; and
bonding said aluminium layer of said strip to a steel backing to form said composite strip.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method according to claim 8 further including the steps of forming said composite strip to the desired shape and finishing the bearing surface by a bore broaching technique.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method according to claim 9 further including the step of applying a soft overlay to said finished bearing surface, said overlay being an alloy selected from the group consisting of lead/tin, lead/tin/copper, tin/copper, tin/antimony, tin/copper/antimony, and lead/tin/copper/antimony.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method according to claim 10 further including the step of applying an interlayer to said finished bearing surface, prior to the application of said soft overlay, said interlayer comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, silver, cobalt, copper/zinc and copper/tin.