Preliminary Study on Fluidized Bed Chemical Mechanical Polishing (FB-CMP) Process for Stainless Steel 304 (SS304)

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Surface Engineering
• Manufacturing Processes

Background:

• Fluidized bed machining (FBM) is utilized for surface finishing and cleaning of intricate 3D components.
• The primary limitation of FBM is its extended processing duration, restricting its industrial applicability.
• Integrating chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) principles into FBM offers a potential solution to enhance processing efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel fluidized bed chemical mechanical polishing (FB-CMP) process.
• To improve the processing efficiency of traditional fluidized bed machining (FBM).
• To investigate the effects of chemical solution composition on the FB-CMP of stainless steel.

Main Methods:

• Development of a fluidized bed chemical mechanical polishing (FB-CMP) system.
• Conducting preliminary experiments using stainless steel 304 (SS304) plates.
• Utilizing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an oxidant, oxalic acid (C2H2O4) as a complexing agent, and alumina (Al2O3) as abrasive particles.

Main Results:

• The material removal rate (MRR) and roughness reduction rate were found to be dependent on the chemical solution's composition.
• The highest MRR and roughness reduction rate were observed with 0.33 wt% H2O2 and 0.2 wt% oxalic acid.
• Preliminary experiments demonstrated the feasibility of the FB-CMP process for SS304.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FB-CMP process shows promise for improving the efficiency of surface finishing complex parts.
• Optimized chemical solution compositions are crucial for maximizing material removal and surface quality.
• Further research is needed to examine chemical solutions for various materials to stabilize the FB-CMP process.