Material removal mechanism and MR fluid for magnetorheological finishing of an RSA-6061 aluminum alloy mirror

We sought to improve the surface quality and the removal rate of aluminum alloy mirrors in magnetorheological finishing (MRF). Based on dense granular flow theory, we investigated the removal of magnetorheological (MR) fluid in the polishing area and adopted a new removal model to express the removal rate of MRF. Then, according to the composition and physical properties of RAS-6061 aluminum alloy, we analyzed the reaction state of it in an acidic and alkaline environment. At the same time, we gave a reasonable range of the content of MR fluid by single-factor experiment and explained the influence of MR fluid on surface quality and removal rate. Lastly, we carried out the MRF experiment on an aluminum alloy mirror and got a high surface quality. The surface roughness reached Ra=2.715nm, and the tool marks formed by turning were removed, which verified the reliability of the removal model.