Flame polishing

Flame polishing,also known asfire polishing,is a method ofpolishinga material, usuallyglassorthermoplastics,by exposing it to aflameor heat.When the surface of the material briefly melts,surface tensionsmooths the surface. Operator skill is critical with this method. When done properly, flame plastic polishing produces the clearest finish, especially when polishingacrylic.This method is most applicable to flat external surfaces. Flame polishing is frequently used in acrylic plastic fabrication because of its high speed compared to abrasive methods. In this application, anoxyhydrogen torchis typically used, one reason being that the flame chemistry is unlikely to contaminate the plastic.

Flame polishing is essential to creation of theglass pipettesused for thepatch clamptechnique ofvoltage clamping.

Equipment

Various machines and torches/gas burnersare used in the flame polishing process. Depending on the heating requirements for an intended application, different kinds of gases are used including but not limited to: natural gas, propane and oxygen, oxygen and hydrogen. A specially designed machine called the hydro flame is commonly used in flame polishing. The hydro flame is a gas-powered generator that uses distilled water and electricity to create oxygen and hydrogen for its flame.The size, shape, and chemistry of the flames used in fire polishing can vary widely based on the type and shape of the material being polished.

See also

• Fire hardening,also known as "fire polishing", a primitive process for hardening wood