Friction and wear of some bronzes under lubricated reciprocating sliding

Abstract Tribological behaviors of some commercial alloys were investigated in order to obtain data for the selection of bronzes for seals and bearings in reciprocating machinery. Both stationary bronze blocks and moving bronze rings were mated with hard surfaces using a Dow-Corning LFW-1 friction and wear testing machine. The results were strongly influenced by operating conditions; sliding geometry and specific mating surfaces had major effects and small additions of fatty acid to the lubricant greatly reduced wear rates and coefficients of friction. Depending on test geometry, hardness was an unreliable guide to wear resistance or none at all. Furthermore, 20% Pb showed an advantage over 10% with one sliding geometry but not with the other and the superiority of the more coarse lead dispersions reported by previous workers was found with one test geometry but the opposite effect was found with the other.