Experimental study on a micro-abrasive slurry jet for glass polishing

Abstract

Numerous parameters can significantly affect the micro-abrasive slurry jet (MASJ) process, including the polishing slurry (abrasive concentration, particle size, and additives), the working pressure, the processing time, the stand-off distance, the incidence angle, and the initial surface roughness. This experimental study of the MASJ process investigated the influences of these technical parameters on the surface profile, the material removal depth, and the surface quality of glass workpiece and obtained the basic technical laws of these effects on the machining performance of the MASJ process. The results indicate that the stand-off distance and incidence angle have the greatest impact on the material removal depth at an optimum value. The working pressure and processing time are proportional to the material removal volume and can satisfy the requirements of optical surface roughness (Sa < 12 nm) when the working pressure is less than 0.6 MPa. The use of mixed additives when polishing the surface roughness in a workpiece creates a uniform distribution and can significantly reduce the border between the polished and unpolished areas. Abrasives with larger particle sizes and higher concentrations cause more serious nozzle wear and are the major factors that influence the surface quality and profile of a workpiece. By optimizing these parameters, an initial glass surface roughness of 2.5 μm can result in surface roughness values of 10.24 nm (0.6 × 0.6 mm) with the MASJ polishing process.