Polishing
Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or using a chemical action, leaving a surface with a significant specular reflection (still limited by the index of refraction of the material according to the Fresnel equations.) I When an unpolished surface is magnified thousands of times, it usually looks like mountains and valleys. By repeated abrasion, those “mountains” are worn down until they are flat or just small “hills.” The process of polishing with abrasives starts with coarse ones and graduates to fine ones.
Electropolishing
Electropolishing, also known as electrochemical polishing, anodic polishing or electrolytic polishing (especially in the metallography field), is an electrochemical process that removes material from a metallic workpiece. It is used to polish, passivate, and deburr metal parts. It is often described as the reverse of electroplating.It may be used in lieu of abrasive fine polishing in microstructural preparation.
Benefits of electropolishing (stainless steel)
- One of the benefits of electropolishing for stainless steel is that it removes iron from the surface and enhances the chromium/nickel content for the most superior form of passivation for stainless steel. Electropolishing also provides a clean and smooth surface that is easier to sterilise, while improving the surface finish by levelling micro-peaks and valleys. This methodology is able to polish areas that are inaccessible by other polishing methods.
- Another benefit of electropolishing is that it removes a small amount of material (typically 20-40 micrometre in depth in the case of stainless steel) from the surface of the parts, while also removing small burrs or high spots. It can be used to reduce the size of some parts when necessary. The results of electropolishing are considered to be aesthetically pleasing by many people.
Polishing (metalworking)
Polishing and buffing are finishing processes for smoothing a workpiece’s surface using an abrasive and a work wheel or a leather strop. Technically polishing refers to processes that use an abrasive that is glued to the work wheel, while buffing uses a loose abrasive applied to the work wheel. Polishing is a more aggressive process while buffing is less harsh, which leads to a smoother, brighter finish. A common misconception is that a polished surface has a mirror bright finish, however most mirror bright finishes are actually buffed.
