Optical Surface Finish of PCD Composites by Dynamic Friction Polishing

This paper presents a cost-effective technique for achieving optical surface finish of thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (PCD) composites using dynamic friction polishing (DFP). The effect of polishing parameters on the material removal rate and surface characteristics of polished specimens were studied. The surface characterisation was carried out by optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and its attached energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. It was found that optical surface finish of PCD with roughness Ra = 50 nm could be obtained efficiently with nearly a ten fold reduction in polishing time compared to the currently used method in industry.