Material removal profile model and experiments of elastic shear thickening polishing

Abstract This article proposes an elastic shear thickening polishing (ESTP) method that enables noncontact, flexible polishing using abrasive grains within a shear thickening polishing liquid, driven by mechanical tools. To address the challenge of accurately predicting and controlling the contour of material removal in ESTP, this study analyzes the microscopic mechanism of material removal during elastic shear thickening. A material removal model for K9 optical glass was developed based on the Princeton equation, finite element simulations, and the convolution of material removal rates. This model comprehensively accounts for the effects of several key parameters: the inclination angle of the polishing tool head, the rotational speed of the polishing head, and the thickness of the elastic shear layer. These factors are essential in shaping the material removal contour. By incorporating these variables, the model provides a detailed prediction of the material removal profiles under various polishing conditions. Experimental validations were conducted to compare the theoretical predictions with the actual outcomes. The results show that the proposed material removal profile model achieves an average relative error of 2.67% between the theoretical and experimental profile depths during ESTP. Furthermore, the surface roughness of the polished workpiece was reduced to 0.94 nm.