Reducing the Edge Chipping for Capillary End Face Grinding and Polishing

¹ Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technická 4, 16607 Praha 6, Czech Republic
² Institute of Thermomechanics AS CR v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 5, 18200 Praha 8, Czech Republic

Abstract

This paper presents results of glass capillary end face grinding and polishing by approach that reduces the edge chipping. Brittle materials have natural tendency for edge chipping what leads to beveling the sharp edges. Not beveled sharp edges on glass capillary are important for special applications like surface tension measurement of small liquid samples. We use common grinding and polishing process for capillary end face machining modified with gradual decreasing of grinding load based on the relation of the critical chipping load. Achieved surface roughness is measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Capillary inner edge quality is checked both with optical microscopes and electron microscope too. We achieved a non-chipped capillary inner edge with radius down to 100 nm.