Influence of Polishing and Etching Modes for Fragile Non-Metallic Parts Made of Quartz Glass on the Quality of the Treated Surface

Abstract

In modern navigation products, gyroscopes are widely used, the main element of which is a sensitive element – a resonator made of isotropic optical materials. The quality of the resonator surface treatment affects the long-term stability of the gyroscope and the accuracy of the navigation system. To achieve high surface quality, various methods are used for processing the workpiece, one of which is the method of layer-by-layer removal of the disturbed layer by repeating the operations of mechanical and chemical processing. The paper considers the influence of polishing and etching modes of quartz glass parts on the quality of the treated surface. Finish machining is applied to axi-symmetric bodies of revolution. Experiments on polishing quartz glass samples were performed, taking into account the factors that affect the surface quality. The influence of the polishing suspension on the polishing process is considered in detail, while other factors are taken into account, such as the geometry and surface roughness before processing, the quality of the polishing tool, the processing time and mode. Processing modes are assigned based on data about the geometry of the tool for polishing quartz glass parts, the developed mathematical model of the movement of a single grain of abrasive, as well as its trajectory for the tool and part. The surface roughness was estimated using a probe scanning microscope. These studies are aimed at improving the surface quality with physical and chemical methods of impact on the part, as well as ensuring high accuracy of processing and surface quality without micro-cracks and scratches.