Sliding bearings with lead-bismuth liquid metal lubrication

Abstract The article presents the results of tribological tests of a thrust bearing made of steel-bronze materials when lubricated with a lead-bismuth metal melt under conditions of heating up to 500°C. The influence of steel-bronze on the coefficient of friction in the ranges of load 0.17–1.0 MPa, velocity 0.05–0.23 m/s, and temperature 250–500°C was studied. It has been established that the tribological properties of friction pairs under experimental conditions mainly depend on temperature, which determines the wetting angle and the viscosity of the metal melt. With an increase in the temperature of the melt above 300°C, the viscosity of the melt decreases, and the liquid metal lubricant is squeezed out of the actual contact areas.