Effects of electrolyte flushing and surface state on electropolishing TB2 titanium alloy

Abstract

TB2 titanium alloys are widely used in the aerospace industry. A high surface quality is required for the performance and fatigue life of titanium alloy parts. Electropolishing is useful for thin metal plates owing to its good processability and conformability. In this study, electrolyte ushing was proposed for electropolishing a large surface and a NaCl-containing ethylene glycol electrolyte was adopted. Three different mechanical grindings were employed for pretreatment, and the ideal surface quality was obtained with a rubber grinding head. Therefore, in the process of electropolishing a large surface, electrolyte ushing is superior to stirring because its ow eld is even and controllable. The effects of the main processing parameters (voltage, ow rate, and process time) on the surface roughness and morphology were studied. Finally, a mirror-like surface with a surface roughness of 10.5 nm was obtained after ushing electropolishing for 30 min under a voltage of 25 V and a ow rate of 0.84 m/s.

Electropolishing with Circulated Electrolyte for Improving Surface Finish of Brass

“…It is also noted that the surface quality of the brass was improved due to rapid decrease of roughness at the initial phase of polishing. A similar trend was also reported in the work of Wei et al [30].…”

“…In a study conducted by Yang et al [29], it was observed that this technique could yield a non-uniform surface roughness. Similar findings were also observed in the study of Wei et al [30]. Yang et al [31] also developed a mechanism that allowed controlling the inlet and outlet of the electrolyte bath of the EP unit.…”