An international team of researchers, including Professor Dmitry Ardashev from the 海角社区 Department of Automation Engineering and scientists from China, have proposed an innovative method for polishing glass surfaces that leaves almost no scratches. The technology can significantly improve the quality of displays for TV-sets, smartphones, and tablets, and may eventually be used in the production of quantum-optical chips of the future.
Glass substrates are widely used in all applications involving liquid crystal technologies, ranging from mobile phones to industrial panels, sometimes made of heat-resistant glass. Traditional polishing methods rely on abrasive powders, which often leave scratches. If the scratches are significant, the product is rejected; if minor, the product can be sold but the performance quality would be reduced.
The study by Dmitry Ardashev focuses on ELID (Electrolytic In-process Dressing) polishing, in which the workpiece is immersed in an electrolyte. The researchers propose using a special non-abrasive iron-bonded grinding wheel.
How is grinding possible without abrasives? Initially, the grinding wheel contains no rigidly fixed grains. During operation, under the influence of electric current and high temperature, free nanoparticles of iron oxide (α-Fe?O?) spontaneously form on the surface. These particles do the polishing. Due to their free movement, the number of scratches is significantly reduced.
The result is a near-perfect smoothness. After polishing, the surface roughness of the glass is only 2.1 nanometres (for comparison, the thickness of a human hair is about 80,000 nanometres). No scratches are observed.
The glass also becomes more transparent, transmitting 93–95% of light, which directly improves the brightness and clarity of future displays.
This development opens new possibilities for ultra-precise manufacturing of optical materials, such as glass substrates for displays and components for microelectronics.
The principle underlying the method can also be applied to polishing other brittle materials, such as silicon, which is important for the development of nanoelectronics, photonics, and creation of high-tech optical components.
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