Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)
UNS L13890 · ASTM B23 Grade 2
Babbitt Grade 2 (ASTM B23 Grade 2, UNS L13890) is a tin-base bearing alloy of about 89 % Sn with slightly higher antimony and copper than Grade 1, giving harder intermetallic phases in a soft tin matrix.
Reference datasheet — Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the AS-CAST condition
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) tempers and conditions
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is supplied in 2 conditions, soft to hard. AS-CAST is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 2 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AS-CASTDefault As-Cast (chill-cast test bar / ingot remelt) | Standard supply and use condition: ingot remelted and gravity chill-cast; property values from ASTM B23 chill-cast bars. | 42 | 66 | 3 | 25 HB | 8 % IACS |
Centrifugally cast lining | Choose for highest-integrity thin linings (turbine/compressor bearings): finer, denser structure with fewer shrinkage voids and best bond strength. | 45 | 72 | 4 | 26 HB | 8 % IACS |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
STATIC-LINED | Static (gravity) cast lining on steel or bronze shell | Surface finish |
What is Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)?
Babbitt Grade 2 (ASTM B23 Grade 2, UNS L13890) is a tin-base bearing alloy of about 89 % Sn with slightly higher antimony and copper than Grade 1, giving harder intermetallic phases in a soft tin matrix. It is the general-purpose industrial babbitt, used as a static or centrifugally cast lining in pump, compressor and machinery bearings and supplied as ingot. Properties are 42 MPa yield, 66 MPa tensile, 3 % elongation and 24.5 HB with a 120 °C service limit — harder than Grade 1 but less conformable, and elongation is low. It works only as a lining bonded to a steel or bronze back; Grade 3 is the harder, lower-tin alternative. Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) has a density of 7.39 g/cm³ (0.267 lb/in³), lighter than 71% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 241°C (466 °F). Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) has a yield strength of 42 MPa (6.09 ksi) and a tensile strength of 66 MPa (9.57 ksi) — stronger than 91% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 3% and the elastic modulus is 53 GPa (7.69 Msi).
What is Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) used for?
- Industrial pump bearings
- Compressor bearings
- General machinery plain bearings
- Bushings
Advantages
- Stiff — 53 GPa (7.69 Msi), better than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High strength — 42 MPa (6.09 ksi), better than 91% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 70/100, better than 91% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Easy to machine — 85/100, better than 89% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Conducts heat well — 55 W/m·K (31.8 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Limitations
- Limited ductility — 3%, worse than 95% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Limited formability — 20/100, worse than 95% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) properties
Typical room-temperature values for Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)-AS-CAST; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) has a density of 7.39 g/cm³ (0.267 lb/in³), lighter than 71% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 241°C (466 °F).
Mechanical13
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) has a yield strength of 42 MPa (6.09 ksi) and a tensile strength of 66 MPa (9.57 ksi) — stronger than 91% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 3% and the elastic modulus is 53 GPa (7.69 Msi).
Thermal6
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is rated for continuous service to 120°C (248 °F). It conducts heat at 55 W/m·K (31.8 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 23 µm/m·K (12.8 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) conducts electricity at 8 % IACS, worse than 73% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is fair (50/100), better than 70% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) takes about 260 MJ of energy and emits 17 kg of CO₂ — more than 61% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability8
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)'s machinability is excellent (85/100, better than 89% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability poor (20/100); formability poor (20/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the solder & low-melting alloy family
Yield strength against density for every solder & low-melting alloy grade FabDigit runs. Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)
Is Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) easy to machine?
Very soft and free-cutting: use sharp high-rake HSS/carbide, high speed, light feed, flood coolant and generous chip clearance to avoid smearing and embedded chips; final bore is usually diamond-bored or burnished.
Can Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) be welded?
Not fusion weldable to steel; local damage is repaired by torch puddling with matching Grade 2 babbitt over a properly tinned, flux-cleaned surface.
Can Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) be formed, bent or molded?
Used strictly as a cast lining — pour at about 420–440 °C onto a shell tinned with pure tin at 260–300 °C, then chill from the back to promote directional solidification and avoid shrinkage voids.
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Sb | 7 – 8 | 7.5 |
| Cu | 3 – 4 | 3.5 |
| Pbimpurity max | ≤ 0.35 | |
| Feimpurity max | ≤ 0.08 | |
| Asimpurity max | ≤ 0.1 | |
| Biimpurity max | ≤ 0.08 | |
| Znimpurity max | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Alimpurity max | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Cdimpurity max | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Sn | ≥ 88.25 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)?
No anodising or plating; finish by boring/scraping to clearance, oil-groove machining and light burnishing, then dye-penetrant or ultrasonic bond inspection.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- UNS
- L13890
- ASTM
- B23 Grade 2
- Also called
- Tin Babbitt Grade 2
How much does Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) cost?
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) — frequently asked
What is Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) used for?
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is typically used for industrial pump bearings, compressor bearings, general machinery plain bearings and bushings. In short: general-purpose tin babbitt; harder than Grade 1; free-cutting bearing lining.
What is the yield strength of Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)?
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) has a typical yield strength of 42 MPa (6.09 ksi) and a tensile strength of 66 MPa (9.57 ksi) — stronger than 91% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 2 listed tempers.
Is Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (85/100, better than 89% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Very soft and free-cutting: use sharp high-rake HSS/carbide, high speed, light feed, flood coolant and generous chip clearance to avoid smearing and embedded chips; final bore is usually diamond-bored or burnished.
Can Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (20/100). Not fusion weldable to steel; local damage is repaired by torch puddling with matching Grade 2 babbitt over a properly tinned, flux-cleaned surface.
What surface finishes work on Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)?
No anodising or plating; finish by boring/scraping to clearance, oil-groove machining and light burnishing, then dye-penetrant or ultrasonic bond inspection.
Can Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) be formed, bent or molded?
Used strictly as a cast lining — pour at about 420–440 °C onto a shell tinned with pure tin at 260–300 °C, then chill from the back to promote directional solidification and avoid shrinkage voids.
What is the maximum service temperature of Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base)?
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is rated for continuous use to about 120°C (248 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) cost?
Babbitt Grade 2 (Tin-Base) is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM B23 — Standard Specification for White Metal Bearing Alloys (Babbitt Metal) — ASTM International (2021)
- GB/T 1174 (ZSnSb8Cu4) — SAC (1992)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys (Tin and Tin Alloys) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 18 — Friction, Lubrication and Wear Technology (Bearing Materials) — ASM International (2017)
- Tin babbitt bearing alloy datasheets (ASTM B23 grades) — Bearing-alloy producers / ITRI tin technical data (2020)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.