Electro polishing

Electrolytic polishing is understood as an electrochemical treatment which leads to the levelling and shining of a metallic surface which is originally matt and rough. In a special electrolyte, under the action of direct current, metal is removed from the anodically switched workpiece surface.

In principle, this is the reversal of the galvanic process, whereby the workpiece to be treated is connected to the positive pole (anode) of a direct current source. Under the action of the direct current, the electrolyte dissolves particles of the material surface. The surface is smoothed and levelled.

A decisive feature of this process is a preferred abrasion of the roughness peaks, which first leads to a reduction in the micro-roughness and, when the treatment time is extended, also to a reduction in the macro-roughness.