75 results about "Electropolishing" patented technology

This invention provides a membrane-mediated electropolishing apparatus for polishing and / or planarizing metal work-pieces. The work-piece is wetted with a low-conductivity fluid. The wetted work-piece is contacted with a first side of a charge-selective ion-conducting membrane, wherein the second side contacts a conductive electrolyte solution in electrical contact with a electrode. Current flow between the electrode and the work-piece electropolishes metal from the work-piece. This invention also provides a half-cell adapted for use in membrane-mediated electropolishing having a fully or partially enclosed volume, a conductive electrolyte which partially or essentially fills the enclosed volume, an electrode which is in contact with the electrolyte, and a charge-selective ion-conducting membrane which seals one surface of the enclosed volume, cavity or vessel in such a way that the internal surface of said membrane contacts the electrolyte solution or gel and the external surface is accessible to contact the work-piece.

This invention provides membrane-mediated electropolishing (MMEP) processes for polishing and / or planarizing metal work pieces using topographically patterned membranes. The processes can be used for both pure metals and alloys, and provide advantages over conventional electropolishing processes and known MMEP processes using smooth membranes. This invention also provides a cathode half-cell and an apparatus useful in membrane-mediated electropolishing processes. The invention also provides processes for electroengraving and electromachining topographic patterns, holes and / or grooves into the surface of a metal work piece.

A current-leveling electrode for improving electroplating and electrochemical polishing uniformity in the electrochemical plating or electropolishing of metals on a substrate is disclosed. The current-leveling electrode includes a base electrode and at least one sub-electrode carried by the base electrode. The at least one sub-electrode has a width which is less than a width of the base electrode to impart a generally tapered, stepped or convex configuration to the current-leveling electrode.

The invention relates to an electrochemical polishing method for the high purity aluminium under ultrasonic agitation, which belongs to the fields of the material chemistry and the electrochemistry. The electrochemical polishing method under the ultrasonic agitation comprises the following steps: high purity aluminium foil is added in absolute ethyl alcohol, so as to be cleaned with deionized water and through ultrasonic oscillations, and the natural oxide film in sodium hydroxide is removed; the aluminium foil after being pretreated is used as an anode, the platinum sheet is used as the cathode, the reference electrode is saturated calomel electrode, and the electropolishing solution is the mixed liquor composed of absolute ethyl alcohol and perchloric acid; the electrolysis vessel is positioned in an ultrasonic wave cleaner, and electrochemical polishing is performed on a constant potential rectifier. The self-organizing structure with nanoscale stripe shape is formed on the aluminium surface, the structure is observed by adopting the atomic force microscopy, and the size of the stripe-shaped nanostructure changes under the ultrasonic agitation; the composition of the polishing surface is analyzed through the Raman spectrum and the X-ray diffraction, so as to indicate that the composition of the polishing surface is amorphous aluminum oxide.