Plasma Electrolyte Polishing of Titanium and Niobium Alloys in Low Concentrated Salt Solution Based Electrolyte

Today, world enterprises specializing in the production of titanium and niobium alloy products and having modern high-tech equipment are still forced to use outdated, costly and environmentally unsafe methods of polishing and surface cleaning, based on electrochemical treatment in toxic solutions. The complex geometric shape of the processed products does not allow the use of mechanical polishing methods, due to high labor costs and low efficiency. These materials are difficult to process, and the processes of their polishing require the use of toxic electrolytes. An alternative to existing methods of electrochemical polishing is plasma electrolyte polishing in aqueous solutions of salts with a concentration of up to 5%. We have developed fundamentally new modes of plasma electrolyte polishing of products from titanium and niobium alloys using simple electrolytes based on an aqueous solution of fluoride salt, the use of which can significantly increase the surface quality class. The advantage of the plasma electrolyte polishing over classical electrochemical polishing is its safety due to the use of an electrolyte based on an aqueous solution of salt. The paper presents the results of an investigation of the characteristics and morphology of the surface after processing using the developed method. Modes that provide the maximum change in roughness with minimal metal removal were obtained.