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The Mysterious World of Polishing and Buffing: Do You Know Their Secret Differences?
In our daily lives, we often see shiny metal surfaces, but the technology and craftsmanship behind them are rarely known. Polishing and grinding are two surface treatments that give many metal objects a smooth and shiny appearance, but what are the subtle differences between them?
Polishing is the process of fixing abrasives on a working wheel with a binder, while sanding uses loose abrasives for surface preparation.
Both polishing and grinding typically involve the use of abrasives and working wheels. Technically speaking, polishing involves using a bonding agent to hold the abrasive on the working wheel, whereas sanding uses loose abrasive. This means that the polishing process is more aggressive than sanding and generally produces a smoother and shinier surface. Although many people mistakenly believe that polishing is grinding the metal to a mirror-like finish, in fact, most mirror-like surfaces are the result of grinding.
Polishing has a wide range of applications, including improving the appearance of items, preventing instrument contamination, removing oxide layers, creating reflective surfaces, and preventing corrosion in pipes. In metal histology and metallurgy, polishing is an essential process for microscopic examination of metal microstructure. This process typically uses a silica-based polishing pad or a diamond solution.
Polishing stainless steel can not only improve its appearance, but also increase its hygiene benefits.
The process of removing oxides (such as rust) from metal objects is also called polishing. To prevent further oxidation, wax, oil or varnish is often applied to polished metal surfaces, which is particularly important in copper alloy products such as brass and bronze.
In addition to traditional mechanical polishing, another lesser-used but still effective polishing method is electrolytic polishing, which is a way of removing micro-layers of metal using electrochemical principles. This method can be adjusted to produce a variety of different surface effects according to requirements, ranging from matte to mirror effects. Moreover, the biggest advantage of electrolytic polishing is that it does not cause compression or deformation of the workpiece like traditional manual polishing.
Polishing and grinding process
Different materials require different types of abrasives. The first stage of the process will use a coarse abrasive (such as 60 or 80 grit), with each subsequent stage using a finer abrasive until the desired effect is achieved. The use of coarse abrasives can effectively remove imperfections on the metal surface, such as pits, scratches, etc., while finer abrasives leave a series of finer scratches that are invisible to the naked eye.
Achieving a No. 8 (mirror) surface requires the use of a polishing and grinding compound and a high-speed polishing machine with a special polishing wheel.
During polishing operations, a lubricant such as wax or kerosene may be used to provide lubrication and cooling during the process. It’s worth noting that some polishing materials are specifically designed to be used “dry,” which can make them more effective in certain situations.
Equipment Required
There are a variety of polishing wheels available on the market to suit various needs. As the most common abrasives, white and gray aluminum oxide abrasives are usually used for high-strength metals such as carbon steel and alloy steel; while gray silicon carbon abrasives are used for hard and brittle materials such as gray iron and low-strength metals. Green chromium oxide is commonly used for polishing iron metals (steel).
Whether it's a polishing wheel for wood, leather, canvas or cotton, each material has its own specificity and technical requirements. In particular, leather and canvas materials are the most common, and there are various models and types to meet different polishing needs.
Depending on the material, choosing the right polishing wheel and abrasive combination is the key to achieving the best polishing effect.
Application Scope
Polishing can be used to enhance and restore the appearance of certain metal parts or objects in automobiles and other vehicles. In addition, in applications such as pharmaceutical, dairy and specialty plumbing, pipes are polished to prevent corrosion and eliminate the potential for bacteria or mold growth. In addition, grinding is also used to manufacture optical reflectors.
While polishing and sanding may seem similar, their techniques and applications are actually profoundly different. Do these subtle differences make you more thoughtful when choosing a polishing or sanding technique?
