DATA presented in this paper indicate the bearing corrosion problem to be fairly straightforward in that:
- 1.
Corrosion of copper-lead bearings specifically can be reduced by improving the fineness of the microstructure;
- 2.
All bearings appear to be aided greatly by reduction of operating temperatures; and
- 3.
Treating the corrodible bearings by special processes, such as indium plating, greatly increases their corrosion resistance.
However, anomalies are cited which indicate that bearing and oil combinations do not behave in relatively the same manner in all engines.
Different types of corrosion may occur in different engines or bearings, or a mechanical or assembly defect, rather than a corrosive oil, may be responsible for bearing failure. The appearance of a bearing frequently fails to indicate the reason for its failure, and more thorough investigation must be made.
In his conclusion the author emphasizes that the field of bearing corrosion still has large unexplored areas.