White

metals
Prepared by: Jenny T. Villanueva

White Metals
O On the most basic level, conservators

describe metals that appear white as

white metal
O White metals are any of several lightcolored alloys used as a base for plated
silverware, ornaments or novelties, as well
as any of several lead-based or tin-based
alloys used for things like bearings,
jewelry, miniature figures, fusible plugs,
type metal and many other applications.

White Metals
OZinc
OCadmium
OTin
O Lead

Common Features of White

metals
O High densities, low melting points (seldom

over 400 degrees Celsius) and the very

limited solid solubility of the alloys
comprising it
O Low recrystallization temperatures, good
formability at room temperature and
excellent resistance to atmospheric
corrosion are some common features shown
by these metals
O Recrystallize on deforming at room
temperature

O Zinc and Cadmium have a

recrystallization temperature
approaching to the room
temperature
O Lead and Tin have much lower

than the room temperature

USES:
Bearing metals,
Type metals,
Solders,
Die casting alloys
Materials for surface

coating

Bearing materials must

have:

*Lead -Antimony -Tin Alloys with or

without Arsenic

Purpose of Bearing:
O To transmit power without or with

minimum loss, hold a moving component

in position without affecting its motion and
to bear all types of load during service
O The desired microstructure consists of
hard phase particles embedded in a soft
and ductile matrix. Intermetallic
compounds, having high wear resistance
and good antifriction properties constitute
hard phase particles

Type Metal
An alloy suitable for use as printing type.
Ideal type metal specific requirements:
low cost, low melting point, adequate hardness,
good wear resistance, very good castability and
narrow gap between liquidus and solidus
temperatures(should not contract or should
contract marginally on solidification)
*Ternary alloys of lead with 10%-25% Antimony and
3%-7% Tin
(because of their good casting characteristics
coupled with better hardness and wear resistance)

Solder
O Alloy used for joining two solid

metallic pieces
O Lead-tin alloys have good fluidity and

wettability
Most common used
-Lead-tin alloy containing either 40% or
50% tin

O All white bearing metals contain between

3.5% and 15% antimony and much of this

combines chemically with some of the tin
giving rise to an intermetallic compound,
SbSn.
O This forms cubic crystals (cuboids) which

are easily identified in the microstructure ,

these cuboids are hard and have low
friction properties , consequently they
constitute the necessary bearing surface
in white metals

Advantage as Bearing
Material
O Good adhesion to the shell material, such as steel or
bronze
O Better seizure resistance in comparison to harder
materials, in the case of oil starvation or during
starting and stopping
O Can be scraped and fitted to the journal during
assembly of the machine (Significant plastic
deformation,resulting in excellent embeddability
and conformability characteristic)
O Relatively soft, can plastically deform to correct
manufacturing errors
O Considered the best bearing material, and the
others can be determined in comparison to it

Usage Limit
O Relatively low melting temperature
O Limits to the magnitude of steady

compression pressure 7N/mm2 (7MPa) and

much lower limits whenever there is fatigue
under oscillating load
O Using very thin layer can extend the limit, of
course , the maximum load must be reduced
at elevated temperature such as in engines,
where the temperature is above 100 degree
Celsius, where white metal loses its nearly
50% of its compression strength

Two Types
OTin-based white

metal
OLead-based white
metal

Lead-based White Metal

bluish grey metal
Hardness of 4BHN(softest white metal)
No tenacity
Used for making solders, as a lining for acid

tanks, cisterns, water pipes and as coating for

electrical cables
Employed where cheap material is required
83% lead, 15% Antimony,1.5% tin, and 0.5%
copper (large bearings subjected to light service)
Intended for lower duty since they can withstand
only limited pressures

LEAD (Pb)

Tin(Sn)
Brightly shining white metal
Soft, malleable, and ductile against

general atmosphere and organic acids

Only white metal showing allotropic
transformation
Transformation from body centered
tetragonal structure to diamond-type
crystal structure results in a marked
decreased in the density
Exhibits excellent corrosion resistance

Tin(Sn)
Low tensile strength (22MPa)
Hardness of 5BHN
Specific gravity: 7.29
Lowest melting point: 232 degrees Celsius
Most expensive white metal

Used for:
Fine solder, bearings, collapsible tubes, corrosionresistant valves and fittings as a protective
coating for iron and steel sheets and for making
tin foil used as moisture proof packing

Used for:
Coating mild steel because of its attractive

and bright appearance, low melting point,

good corrosion resistance, and non-toxic
nature
Tin coated steel sheets(Tin plates) are
extensively used in the packaging and
canning industry
Tin cans made from tin coated steel sheets
are preferred for packing, specially fruit
juices as these can be preserved for
reasonable length of time, without
affecting their taste and quality.Taste and
quality wont be affected even in the

Tin-based White Metal

Also referred as babbits or antifriction metal

alloy
Isaac Babbit invented and in 1839 obtained a
US patent on the use of a soft white alloy for
bearing(Tin-based alloy with small amounts of
added copper, antimony, and lead.
represent the better quality ,high-duty white
metals
These alloys usually consist of relatively hard
crystals embedded in a softer matrix, a
structure important for machine bearings.
Most common bearing metal used with cast iron
boxes where the bearings are subjected to high
pressure and load (Low coefficient of friction,

Tin-based vs. Lead-based

white metal
Tin based has higher thermal

conductivity, higher compression

strength, higher fatigue, and impact
strength, and higher corrosion
resistance
Lead based exhibit lower friction
coefficient , better bonding to the
shells, and better properties for
casting, lower cost, very good
antiseizure characteristics and good
ability to embed dirt and impurities

Thank You!
THE END

Zinc
lustrous bluish-white metal. It is found in

group IIb of the periodic table. It is brittle

and crystalline at ordinary temperatures,
but it becomes ductile and malleable when
heated between 110C and 150C. It is a
fairly reactive metal that will combine with
oxygen and other non-metals, and will react
with dilute acids to release hydrogen.
Identified as an element in 1746, but known
to the Greeks and Romans before 20BC.

Applications
Used to galvanize metals (iron), more than 50%

of metallic zinc goes into galvanizing steel

used for the negative plates in some electric
batteries
for roofing and gutters in building construction.
used in making American pennies
used in die casting in the automobile industry
used as a white pigment in water colours or
paints, and as an activator in the rubber industry

Applications
As a pigment zinc is used in plastics,

cosmetics, photocopier paper, wallpaper,

printing inks etc, while in rubber production
its role is to act as a catalyst during
manufacture and as a heat disperser in the
final product.
Zinc metal is included in most single tablet,
it is believed to possess anti-oxidant
properties, which protect against premature
aging of the skin and muscles of the body.

Cadmium

Applications

O silver, zinc, nickel, aluminum

O antimony, bismuth, cadmium, lead,

tin