The invention relates to a connecting rod bearing shell or bushing for internal combustion engines or to a main bearing shell for crankshaft mounting in internal combustion engines, made of a sliding bearing composite material having a metal, preferably steel support layer and a metal sliding layer applied thereto. The sliding bearing composite material is suitable for all applications cited and the sliding layer is made up of a copper zinc alloy with 10-25 wt. % Zn. 1-3 wt. % Mn. 1-3 wt. % Ni. 2-6 wt. % Fe: the remainder being copper, and impurity elements, respectively accounting for a maximum of 0.1%, corresponding to a maximum overall sum of 1 wt. % and the sliding layer is exclusively crystallised in the α-phase.