Babbitt composition

I was given about 800 lbs of used babbitt and it is now in nice 1 lb. ingots. However, the giver, did not know whether it was lead based or tin based. I suspect it is lead but they are HARD. I can break them, and they literally ring when knocked together. I have been using it sparingly in my normal COWW melt when casting because if I put too much in, the bullets start to stick in the mold. I'm guessing 8 ounces or so in a 20 lb melt.

Is there some place that I could send an ingot for analysis? I sure would like to know just what I have plus be able to sell some, because I for sure will not be able to use it all in the small amounts that I am currently using.

Contact BNE, a member here. He does these test for members. He trades a test for 1# of lead.

A tin-based Babbitt metal will be at least 80 % tin (and maybe as much as 92%, depending on application) while a lead based babbitt will be somewhere along the lines of 75-93% lead, 5-15% antimony, and 0-10% tin, while there also may be copper, nickel, and arsenic in minute quantities. A common Babbitt metal is number 4, 5-7 % antimony and the balance lead, while 75-15-10 Pb, Sb, Sn is referred to as #7.

PS. Tin babbit is a great way to sweeten your old wheel weight or pure lead and can often be purchased as lead at scrap dealers. I got about 15 pounds from a turbine generator bearing and used it to make just about 300 pounds of excellent alloy.

Many members suggest sending it to BNE to be tested. You can’t go wrong with so many recommendations.
You can also try a local colleges geology department or possibly a scrapyard.

There many formulations of babbit and testing is the only sure way to determine what you have.

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Originally Posted by lightman

Contact BNE, a member here. He does these test for members. He trades a test for 1# of lead.

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I'll second that! He'll instruct you as to how to prep the sample: Don't just mail an ingot - it doesn't work that way. Follow his instructions, he'll get your alloy composition sorted out right quick.

Yep BNE will make that supply a known alloy for ya. Does have a way he needs to have things set up when he gets it so his job isn't a PITA. Simple directions but making a big difference to him.

A quick read of Babbitt in Wikipedia will show you some of the potential alloy compositions. Tin is hard, antimony makes lead hard. Even small amount of tin can make lead melt at lower temperatures. Babbitt always good but has as you will read a lot of variety in the alloy composition.

When I have a lot of ingots to be tested I take a drill and collect some shavings from a few ingots to melt in a spoon. Gives me a cross section of the ingots so I know how they average and avoid getting reading from just one. BNE wants a pea sized bead to test so this works with his requirements.

Worth it with a large batch to gather material from several into two or three samples to get tested. I do that when the batch is larger than I can do in one go in my Dutch Oven I use for making ingots. Finding out what each batch is. Find sometimes one batch will have a minor but notable difference in alloy composition. Or found a dozen lino pigs. They can vary depending on when last having tin refreshed so sample shavings into one sample will let me know what it will yield if used in larger batch of alloy.

Lino 50/50 with plain is hardball if the lino is full strength. Which is what I'm testing for.

Went to go find my No.2 babbitt supply, a couple of 25 pound spools of 1/8" wire.
Just out of curiosity I looked up price and found the same spools priced at $635 each.

I was trying to figure out what you would use Babbitt wire for since it is a bearing material usually poured into place in antique machines. Interesting to find it is also flame sprayed onto parts. I had seen that process done to build up hardened surfaces to be re-machined to spec but never a bearing surface.

I've got about 22lbs of nickel babbitt #4. About 11 pounds from rotometals and the other is from Castomatic. I don't really have a plan for it so I'll probably sell it so I can buy more soft lead.

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Originally Posted by Rickf1985

I was trying to figure out what you would use Babbitt wire for since it is a bearing material usually poured into place in antique machines. Interesting to find it is also flame sprayed onto parts. I had seen that process done to build up hardened surfaces to be re-machined to spec but never a bearing surface.

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Yep. Big Diesel engines - locomotives, ships - (I've never seen the inside of a small diesel engine) are done that way.