The effects of polishing pressure, polishing speed and pH value of the polishing slurry on the chemical activity of quartz glass, the material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) of the workpiece were studied. Using MRR and Ra as evaluation indexes, three factors and four levels of the orthogonal test were used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on quartz glass. By measuring the contact angle between the polishing slurry and workpiece, the influence of different polishing slurries on the chemical activity of quartz glass surface was studied. The processing mechanism of CMP quartz glass was analyzed. The order of important factors affecting MRR of quartz glass was: pressure [Formula: see text] rotation speed [Formula: see text] pH value; the order of significant factors affecting Ra of quartz glass was: pressure [Formula: see text] pH value [Formula: see text] rotation speed. The optimum polishing process parameter combination of the MRR was: pressure 27.58 kPa, rotation speed 85 rpm, pH value 12; the optimum polishing process parameter combination of the Ra was: pressure 13.79 kPa, rotation speed 85 rpm, pH value 12. The MRR and Ra of the workpiece are evaluated from the mechanical action of pressure and speed and the chemical action of polishing slurry on the workpiece. The results proved that the effect of the alkaline polishing solution on MRR and Ra of quartz glass is more significant than that of the acidic polishing slurry.