Tribological Performance of Tin-based White Metal ZChSnSb8-8 under Simulated Sea Water Environment

Tribological behaviors of Babbitt alloy ZChSnSb 8-8 sliding against AISI 52100 stainless steel lubricated by simulated sea water were investigated. The SEM, energy-disperse X-ray spectrometer (EDS), XPS and XRD characterizations were used to understand the corresponding wear mechanism. The results indicated that the friction coefficients decreased with load and sliding speed. The wear rates increased slightly with load but decreased with sliding speed. The low friction coefficient and wear rate can be attributed to the unique structure of ZChSnSb 8-8 and the lubricating effect of sea water.