Electrochemistry assisted shear thickening polishing of Ti-6Al-4V

In order to obtain a high-quality Ti-6Al-4V surface, an electrochemistry assisted shear thickening polishing (E-STP) method is proposed in this paper. In order to investigate the material removal synergistic effect of mechanical and electrochemical in the polishing process, this paper mainly investigates the effects of current, voltage, and polishing speed on surface roughness (S_a) and material removal rate (MRR). The results show that at the same polishing speed, as the current intensity or voltage intensity increases, the surface material removal rate first rises and then falls, and the surface roughness S_a first falls and then rises. At a polishing speed of 80 rpm with a 160 mA current, the optimal synergy between the electrochemical effect and the shear thickening effect was achieved, resulting in the highest MRR of 543.4 nm/min and the lowest surface roughness Sa of 1.4 nm. As polishing speed increases, a higher current density is required to achieve the highest MRR and lowest S_a. This is because faster speeds enhance mechanical removal, necessitating stronger electrochemical action to maintain balance. According to the EDS results, at 80 mA and 80 rpm, the oxide content is 0, indicating a balance between mechanical and electrochemical effects, leading to efficient material removal and optimal surface roughness. At 160 mA, the oxide content is 4.57 %, with the electrochemical effect slightly stronger, achieving the optimal synergy and polishing results.