Development of Elastic Electrode and Electrophoretic Polishing on Die Materials.

Abstract

This paper deals with experimental research to develop a smoothing and mirror polishing technique on die materials using an electrophoresis phenomenon. Elastic tools that possess an electronic conductivity due to carbon fibers mixed into plastics were newly developed to draw abrasive grains toward the contact surface between the polishing tool and a work material. Also, polishing fluid in which large-sized abrasive grains were floated and charged with electricity was newly developed to realize electrophoretic polishing with high efficiency. The performance of fluid and elastic electrode were verified through the measurement of stock removal and tool wear under the process of surface polishing on high-chrome stainless steel. It was confirmed that the stock removal and tool wear were varied, influenced by the tool material, impressed voltage, abrasive grain density in fluid and viscosity of fluid. Also, it was revealed that the tool wear overcame the stock removal in proportion as the number of abrasive grains that penetrated within the contact surface became large.