Mechanisms and processing limits of surface finish using laser-thermochemical polishing

Laser thermochemical machining allows a controlled material removal of metallic workpieces for an aesthetic or functionalized structuring. This work deals with the question, why does a smoothing effect occurs and what are the mechanisms behind it? The results show, that the surface smoothing is based on the preferred material removal of the roughness peaks compared to the valleys, as well as microstructure related limits of the surface quality. This might be caused not by one single, but a combination of electrical, thermal and physicochemical mechanisms. These effects can be used for the controlled and selective surface polishing.