Theoretical research on surface material migration of field constrained abrasive polishing

The current research on the removal mechanism of ultra-precision polishing lacks various microscopic understandings of material removal and the process of surface material migration, which hinders the development of ultra-precision polishing technology, especially field constrained abrasive polishing. In order to clarify effects of abrasives at the atomic level on material removal in the field constrained abrasive polishing, a three-dimensional molecular dynamics model is conducted to study the mechanics of ultra-precision polishing on an aluminum (Al) specimen with a diamond abrasive. In order to simulate the real polishing environment, a double abrasive polishing system is designed. The mechanism of material removal was studied by observing the surface topography, surface damage, and coordination number of the working area during polishing. The influence factors of material removal were also investigated by changing the initial velocity, incidence angle, initial force, and relative position of the double abrasives. The results show that the transverse distance and the longitudinal distance between the double abrasives make a slight difference to the number of phase transformation atoms in the double abrasive polishing system, which is directly proportional to the initial velocity, the initial force, the distance between the specimen and its closest abrasive in the Z direction, and the distance between the double abrasives in the Z direction and inversely proportional to the incident angle of the double abrasives. Finally, it is found that the force on the abrasives is the main factor that determines the removal efficiency of the field constrained abrasive polishing.