A brief application of material parameters to predict polishing rates for optical glasses

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of material parameters of optical glasses on the polishing rate of these glasses. For this purpose, the material removal of various glasses was determined in laboratory tests under identical polishing conditions with respect to polishing pad and polishing suspension. The material removal was then evaluated for its dependence on material parameters. The goal of this paper is to derive a rule of thumb which allows an estimation of the material removal and the obtainable surface quality based on certain parameters of the workpiece material under comparable conditions. This rule of thumb can provide an initial insight into the polishability of a material and can be used to estimate polishing times and achievable surface qualities.