Mystery Alloy, Extremely Hard

[Conditor22]

Mystery Alloy, Extremely Hard

Lee hardness test left .026 dimple!! I thought/guestimated 54.8 bhn

Using the formula from https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/b...er-d_1365.html

The test is achieved by applying a known load to the surface of the tested material through a hardened steel ball of known diameter. The diameter of the resulting permanent impression in the tested metal is measured and the Brinell Hardness Number calculated as

BHN = 2 P / (π D (D - (D2 - d2)1/2)) (1)

where

BHN = Brinell Hardness Number

P = load on the indenting tool (kg)

D = diameter of steel ball (mm)

d = measure the diameter at the rim of the impression (mm)

It is desirable that the test load are limited to an impression diameter in the range of 2.5 to 4.75 mm.

It said the alloy was 78.9 BHN.


I found that Antimony (Sb) – Properties, Applications Hardness, Brinell 30 - 58 BHN

not easily visible in the pictures is a metallic sparkle in the broken section



Has anyone else run across this or know what it is???

[JimB..]

NL used to make a lot of babbitt, don’t know how hard “hard babbitt” was.

[Conditor22]

Babbitt metal
The original name for tin-antimony-copper (Sn-Sb-Cu) white alloys used for machinery bearings, the term now applies to almost any white bearing alloy with either tin or lead (Pb) base. The alloy consists of 88.9% tin, 7.4% antimony, and 3.7% copper. This alloy melts at 239°C. It has a Brinell hardness of 35 at 21°C, and 15 at 100°C. As a general-utility bearing metal, the original alloy has never been improved greatly, and makers frequently designate the tin-base alloys close to this composition as genuine Babbitt.

[44magLeo]

Do you have more than what you pictured?
Does the 5 indicate how much each ingot weighs?
If so I think your a very lucky fellow.
That is a hardener for your alloys. With something like that more is better.
Leo

[Lloyd Smale]

NL means nickle.

[rockrat]

Might just be an abbreviation for National Lead Co.

I wonder if that is more of a #3 babbit, with closer to 8% copper?

[bangerjim]

NL means nickle.

I do believe NLCo stands for National Lead Company. Co is short for Company.

You have some old Babbitt there.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had lots of babbit in the past. Never seen babbit that. the idea of babbit bearings is that they wear instead of the steel journal spinning in them.

[country gent]

National Lead Company had plants in Toledo 2, Pottstown and one other. Grandfather and Dad worked for them in Toledo. They made Babbitt alloys and die cast die castings for industry. Made auto trim grills sporting equipment and kitchen tools.

I believe if you can find an old company catalog the No 5 refers to a specific Babbit alloy they produced. The catalog may even give the actual materials and percentages of it contained. Babbit like steel aluminum and most materials is a very broad term with out knowing the make up of it.

Lead antimony copper zinc and other materials were used in babbit to gain the desired qualities. In a bushing type bearing the porosity caused by the zinc is a plus forming oil pockets to hold lubricants and provide cooling. These bushings were normally poured with in .003-.005 and scraped to size location.

On you ingot it may be a good idea to have it analyzed to see what it is to blend with

[pjames32]

I'm not sure if this attachment will work.......NationalLeadCompanyProductsForIndustryA ndTrade-CatalogNo.47j.pdf
This is an old National Lead Company catalog. If the attachment doesn't work Google it. I think you have babbit

[Scrounge]

I'm not sure if this attachment will work.......NationalLeadCompanyProductsForIndustryA ndTrade-CatalogNo.47j.pdf
This is an old National Lead Company catalog. If the attachment doesn't work Google it. I think you have babbit

Try this one. I believe it's the same one from your link.

https://archive.org/details/National...dustryAndTrade

[bangerjim]

Try this one. I believe it's the same one from your link.

https://archive.org/details/National...dustryAndTrade

Thanks for posting that link! Very educational. Amazing just how much Pb was used back in the early days. It was in everything and everywhere~!

Again THANKS!

banger