Effects of particle size, polishing pad and contact pressure in free abrasive polishing

The objective of this research is to better understand the mechanisms of material removal in the free abrasive polishing process. Experiments were carried out to understand the effects of particle size, polishing pad and nominal contact pressure on the wear rate and surface roughness of the polished surface. A theoretical model was developed to predict the relationship between the polishing parameters and the wear rate for the case of hard abrasive particles sandwiched between a soft pad and a workpiece (softer than the abrasive particles). Experimental results and theoretical predictions indicate that the wear rate increases with an increase in particle size, hardness of polishing pad and nominal contact pressure, and with a decrease in elastic modulus of the polishing pad. Surface roughness increases with an increase in particle size and hardness of polishing pad, and nominal contact pressure has little effect on the roughness. A dimensionless parameter, wear index which combines all of the preceding parameters, was introduced to give a semi-quantitative prediction for the wear rate in free abrasive polishing. It is also suggested that when polishing hard material, in order to achieve a high materials removal rate and a smooth surface, it is preferable to use diamond as the polishing particles because of their high deformation resistance.