Tribaloy alloy reinforced tin-bronze composite coating for journal bearing applications

This article presents an experimental study of the tribological behavior of a tin/bronze-based composite coating. The improved-ductility Tribaloy alloy (T-401) particles are selected as the reinforcement. This coating is made on the bushing of planet journals used in aerospace engines, deposited with the high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray technique. The tribological properties such as friction and wear resistance of the coated bushing are investigated under the WAMsc3 Sliding Contact Test, along with the leaded tin/bronze bushing tested for comparison. The testing results show that the bushing coated with the composite exhibits superior tribological properties to the leaded tin/bronze bushing in that the former runs longer before the friction coefficient reaches 0.5 and also leads a to lower wear rate than the latter. The experimental results and wear mechanisms of these two bushings are discussed with the assistance of worn surface analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).