Application of a centrifugal shooting type polishing system to polish pure titanium

Titanium is a difficult metal to grind, and thus mechanical polishing using conventional rotating tools takes a lot of time. The purpose of this study was to examine the polishing effect of a centrifugal shooting type polishing system on a pure titanium surface processed with a CAD/CAM system. The specimens' surfaces were polished for various times using this apparatus, then the center line average roughness (Ra) of each specimen was measured with surface roughness measuring apparatus. In addition, the surfaces after polishing were observed with a scanning electron microscope. After 50 sec of polishing, Ra decreased from 1.1 microns to less than 0.6 micron, and after 60 sec of polishing the cutting marks generated by the CAD/CAM system disappeared and a smooth surface was observed. Therefore, it appears that a centrifugal shooting type polishing system is effective at polishing pure titanium.