Wear resistant lead free alloy bushing and method of making

US8679641B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• David M. Saxton · Ann Arbor, US
• James Carpenter · Willis, US
• Gregory Sevenski · Farmington, US
• Holger Schmitt · Berlin, DE
• Gerd Andler · Schlangenbad, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 31, 2007
• Grant date: Mar 25, 2014
• Expiry date: Nov 24, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/1209
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A bearing having improved wear resistance has a bearing material of a copper-tin-bismuth alloy which may also include phosphorus which has excellent strength, due to the solid solution of copper, tin and phosphorus (when used), attached to a steel backing shell. The material also has good lubricity as a result of the presence of the bismuth which also promotes tin mobilization and formation of a layer of tin on the bearing surface upon use of the bearing. The addition of small amounts of relatively small hard particles in the copper-tin-matrix, particularly Fe3P, MoSi2 or a mixture thereof, provides a suitable hard surface artifact to improve the wear resistance of the bearing material. The bearing includes a sintered powder compact bearing material of a copper-tin-bismuth alloy powder and a metal compound powder which is bonded to a steel backing shell, wherein the metal compound powder has an average particle size of less than 10 μm.