Babbitt bearings are rotary bearings (no rolling elements) made from special alloys poured into place in the bearing housing. A Babbitt bearing is made of Babbitt metal, a soft alloy of tin, antimony, and lead. Babbitt bearings are produced by the deposition of a thin layer of Babbitt metal onto plain bearings. The structure of Babbitt metal consists of small, hard crystals dispersed in a matrix of softer alloy. As the Babbitt bearing wears, the harder crystals are exposed. With the erosion of the matrix, a path is provided for the lubricant to reach the bearing surface.