Electropolishing Procedure Dedicated to In-Depth Stress Measurements with X-Ray Diffractometry

Electropolishing is the sole reliable method of removing the outer layer of the specimen without changing its stress state. This feature of the electropolishing procedure allows researchers to investigate the in-depth stress distribution. Developing of the method in a diffraction laboratory is crucial because there is no universal theory for the electropolishing procedure allowing the removal of the layers of different thickness. This is due to the multiplicity of different factors affecting the electropolishing results. A factor of vital importance from the point of view of indepth stress measurements is the thickness of the electropolishing layer. Hence the importance of the procedures for the electropolishing of a layer of a precisely defined thickness.

This work deals with the problem of the selection of the parameters in the electropolishing process for two types of materials: stainless steel and aluminium alloy. The tests of mutual correlation of current intensity, voltage applied and time of the procedure and its results are presented in the paper.