Abstract
Semi-ductile grinding followed by simple mechanical polishing is an economical process for producing a mirror-like surface for hard and brittle Pyrex. A fine-grit resinoid-bonded diamond wheel was used to generate large amounts of ductile streaking to improve the surface quality and reduce the polishing time. The ground samples were polished with diamonds and/or cerium oxide to analyse the effect of the abrasives, the polishing pad and the pressure on the surface produced. The microstructure of the ground sample was investigated using a scanning electron microscope whilst the polished surface was analysed using an atomic force microscope. The results of this study show that: (i) as much as 85% of ductile streaks were found on the ground surface; and (ii) the cerium oxide polishing process yields the best surface, the latter having a roughness of 8.7 nm after 2 min of polishing, with very few fine hair-line scratches.
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