Using the Ethaline Electropolishing Method on the Internal Surface of Additive Manufactured Tubes

Electropolishing is a widely used technique for polishing additive manufactured (AM) components, while complex internal surface polishing remains a challenge. In this study, we explore the use of ethaline as an electrolyte and investigate the effects of temperature, time, stirring speed, and voltage on the electropolishing effectiveness for AM tubes without pre-treatment through orthogonal experiments. The optimal combination of these factors is then applied in further electropolishing experiments on straight tubes with large length-to-diameter ratios and an angled tube. Our results indicate that temperature has the most significant impact on internal surface electropolishing performance, and other factors’ effects are also analyzed. Ethaline can be a promising electrolyte for internal surface electropolishing of AM components because of its high viscosity, which is validated by flow field simulation of the hydrodynamic conditions inside the tubes.