Efficient glassy carbon electrode grinding machine and grinding method

Abstract

The invention discloses an efficient glassy carbon electrode grinding machine and a grinding method.The efficient glassy carbon electrode grinding machine comprises a shell, a three-layer grinding device is arranged in the shell, and a fixing device capable of rapidly fixing glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications is arranged in the middle of the upper end of the three-layer grinding device; guide rail devices used in cooperation with the fixing devices are arranged on the two sides of the upper end of the three-layer grinding device. The three-layer grinding device sequentially comprises a fixed circular ring, a coarse sand grinding layer, a coarse aluminum oxide grinding layer and a fine aluminum oxide grinding layer from inside to outside, the coarse sand grinding layer is used for rapidly removing an oxide layer, the coarse aluminum oxide grinding layer achieves surface coarse grinding smoothness, and the fine aluminum oxide grinding layer completes fine polishing; the guide rail device allows the fixing device to move in the radial direction, synchronous control over movement of the fixing device and the rotating speed of the polishing layers is achieved through a program, and the fixing device comprises a rubber fixing sleeve arranged at the upper end of the three-layer polishing device. According to the grinding machine, automatic, high-precision and batch grinding of the glassy carbon electrodes can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of polishing machine technology, specifically to a high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine and polishing method. Background Technology

[0002] Glassy carbon electrodes, as an indispensable basic carbon material electrode in the field of electrochemical research, have become core components in many cutting-edge fields such as electrochemical analysis, materials science, biosensor development, energy storage device fabrication, and catalytic reaction research due to their excellent conductivity, good chemical stability, and wide potential window. In electrochemical testing, the physicochemical state of the electrode surface directly determines the accuracy, repeatability, and reliability of experimental data. For example, in high-precision experiments such as trace substance detection and electrocatalytic activity assessment, minute defects, contaminant residues, or uneven oxide layer thickness on the electrode surface can lead to distorted test signals and affect the scientific validity of research conclusions. Therefore, standardized polishing pretreatment of glassy carbon electrodes to remove adsorbed contaminants, oxide layers, and scratches, restoring their uniform and clean electrochemically active surface, is a crucial preliminary step to ensure the smooth conduct of experiments.

[0003] Currently, the pretreatment of glassy carbon electrodes in scientific research still relies mainly on traditional manual physical polishing. The core process involves multiple graded steps: First, preliminary grinding is performed using sandpaper with a grit of 600 grit or higher to eliminate obvious pits and deep scratches on the electrode surface. Then, non-condensed alumina polishing slurries with different particle sizes (5μm, 0.3μm, and 0.05μm) are used sequentially on polishing cloth and specialized chamois leather for gradient fine polishing. Chamois leather corresponding to different particle sizes of polishing slurries must be used separately to avoid cross-contamination. Finally, the polishing effect is verified by testing the cyclic voltammetry curve of potassium ferricyanide solution under nitrogen-saturated conditions. The experimental requirements are met only when the peak potential difference is controlled within 100mV. This process is cumbersome, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Manual polishing of a single electrode often takes about one hour, and if multiple electrodes need to be processed in batches, the total time can reach 1-2 days. This not only seriously consumes researchers' valuable time but also causes hand pain and energy depletion due to prolonged repetitive mechanical operations, significantly reducing work efficiency.

[0004] Although automated grinding technology has been applied to the processing of conventional electrodes such as metal and graphite electrodes, the development of specialized automated equipment for glassy carbon electrodes remains relatively lagging. Existing automated grinding equipment is mostly a modified general-purpose product, failing to fully consider the material characteristics of glassy carbon electrodes, such as moderate hardness and susceptibility to microscopic damage. It lacks precise adaptation in key parameters such as grinding pressure control, speed matching, and grinding media selection, resulting in insufficient grinding accuracy and difficulty in achieving the required surface smoothness and uniformity of the electrodes, thus failing to meet the stringent requirements of standardized pretreatment for glassy carbon electrodes. Furthermore, as the post-90s and post-00s generations of researchers become the main force in scientific research, they tend to devote their energy to innovative research, reducing their need for tedious and repetitive manual operations. The contradiction between traditional manual grinding methods and the practical needs of efficient scientific research is becoming increasingly prominent, making the development of a highly efficient automated grinding device suitable for glassy carbon electrodes an urgent need in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the problems of low efficiency, high labor intensity, insufficient precision and poor compatibility with general automated equipment in the existing technology, the present invention provides a high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode grinding machine and grinding method to realize automated, high-precision and batch grinding of glassy carbon electrodes.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes a housing, inside which are three polishing devices. A fixing device for quickly securing glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications is located at the upper center of the three polishing devices. Guide rail devices for use with the fixing device are located on both sides of the upper end of the three polishing devices. The three polishing devices, from the inside out, consist of a fixing ring, a coarse abrasive polishing layer, a coarse alumina polishing layer, and a fine alumina polishing layer. The coarse abrasive polishing layer is used to quickly remove the oxide layer, the coarse alumina polishing layer achieves a rough surface smoothing, and the fine alumina polishing layer completes fine polishing. The guide rail devices allow the fixing device to move radially, and the movement of the fixing device is synchronously controlled with the rotation speed of the polishing layers through a program.

[0007] Preferably, the fixing device includes a rubber fixing sleeve disposed on the upper end of the three-layer grinding device and a fixing screw detachably connected to one end of the outer side of the rubber fixing sleeve.

[0008] It is worth noting that the rubber fixing sleeve has elastic deformation capability, which can be adapted to glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications to achieve quick centering and fixing. At the same time, the rubber material is soft and can avoid damage to the electrode surface during clamping. However, it is important to choose a rubber fixing sleeve made of wear-resistant and chemical corrosion-resistant rubber to avoid aging and deformation after long-term use. In addition, the inner diameter must be compatible with the outer diameter of common glassy carbon electrodes to ensure clamping stability.

[0009] Preferably, the guide rail device includes two sets of sliding guide rails installed on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer grinding device, and transverse grooves opened inside the sliding guide rails.

[0010] It is worth noting that the small gap between the transverse slide and the sliding guide block results in high positioning accuracy and can limit the movement direction of the fixing device, preventing lateral deviation. However, it is necessary to ensure that the inner wall of the transverse slide is smooth to reduce sliding friction resistance. At the same time, the length of the sliding guide rail must match the radial dimension of the three-layer grinding device to ensure that the electrode can pass through each grinding layer completely.

[0011] Preferably, sliding guide blocks are fixedly connected to both sides of the rubber fixing sleeve, and the sliding guide blocks slide inside the transverse groove.

[0012] It is worth noting that the sliding guide block connects the rubber fixing sleeve and the sliding guide rail, transmitting the moving power and driving the electrode to move along the transverse slide groove. However, it is important to note that the material of the sliding guide block must be wear-resistant to avoid wear caused by long-term sliding. In addition, the size of the sliding guide block must be precisely matched with the transverse slide groove to ensure smooth sliding while avoiding excessive gaps that could cause wobbling.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a power unit, which is a brushless motor with an adjustable speed range of 1000-3000 rpm.

[0014] It is worth noting that the brushless motor provides rotational power for the three-layer grinding device, and the grinding efficiency and precision are controlled by adjusting the speed. However, it is important to select the appropriate speed for the brushless motor according to the grinding stage to avoid overheating of the electrode surface or excessive consumption of abrasive due to excessive speed. At the same time, an overload protection device should be provided to prevent the motor from being damaged due to excessive load.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes a cleaning device, which includes an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a chamois.

[0016] It is worth noting that: the water inlet pipe can precisely spray clean water to cool the polishing area in time, preventing the heat generated during polishing from affecting the electrode performance; the water outlet pipe can quickly discharge waste liquid and residual abrasive, keeping the polishing area clean and preventing waste liquid accumulation from affecting the polishing effect; the chamois leather is soft and wear-resistant, and when used with alumina powder abrasive, it can achieve fine polishing and improve the surface finish of the electrode; however, it should be noted that chamois leather corresponding to different abrasive grit sizes should be used separately to avoid cross-contamination affecting polishing accuracy, and should be cleaned promptly after use, and aged or severely worn chamois leather should be replaced regularly.

[0017] Preferably, the cleaning device is adapted to alumina powder abrasive, and the water inlet pipe sprays clean water to keep the chamois moist.

[0018] It is worth noting that alumina powder abrasive has moderate hardness and high grinding efficiency. Different particle sizes of abrasive can achieve graded grinding, which can meet different needs of coarse grinding and fine polishing. However, it is necessary to select the corresponding particle size of alumina powder abrasive according to the grinding stage to avoid damage to the electrode surface or low grinding efficiency due to improper particle size selection. At the same time, the amount used should be controlled to avoid waste.

[0019] A polishing method based on the above-described high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes the following steps: S1: Preprocessing Clean the surface of the glassy carbon electrode with alcohol or acetone to remove grease and contaminants; S2: Fixed Fix the pretreated electrode to the fixing device with the electrode facing down, and tighten it with fixing screws; S3: Polishing Start the power unit, and drive the fixed device to move from the inside to the outside through the sliding guide rail. The device will be polished in sequence through the coarse sand polishing layer, the coarse alumina polishing layer, and the fine alumina polishing layer. The coarse sand polishing layer corresponds to a grinding effect of 600 grit or higher, the coarse alumina polishing layer is suitable for 5μm abrasive precision, and the fine alumina polishing layer is suitable for 0.05-0.3μm abrasive precision. The total polishing time is ≤30 seconds. S4: Cleaning Rinse the electrode surface with ultrapure water to remove residual abrasive. S5: Activation Electrochemical activation treatment shall be carried out according to actual needs.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. Strong adaptability: Designed specifically for the characteristics of glassy carbon electrode material, it accurately matches the grinding parameters, reduces material consumption, and achieves grinding precision at the micron to nanometer level; 2. Significantly improved efficiency: Automated operation, completing the polishing of a single electrode within 30 seconds, supporting batch processing, solving the pain point of time-consuming manual polishing; 3. High stability: The mechanical structure is stable, the grinding force is uniform and the trajectory is fixed, which avoids electrode wear deviation and improves the accuracy of experimental data; 4. Low cost and lightweight: The structure is simple and reliable, the manufacturing cost is low, and it is suitable for conventional laboratories and small and medium-sized application scenarios. 5. Easy to operate: It integrates cleaning function and supports multiple electrode specifications to meet different grinding needs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the three-layer polishing device of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional disassembled structural diagram of the fixing screw of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the guide rail device of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional disassembled structural diagram of the sliding guide rail and sliding guide block of the present invention.

[0022] Reference numerals: 1. Outer shell; 2. Fixing device; 3. Three-layer grinding device; 4. Guide rail device; 201. Rubber fixing sleeve; 202. Fixing screw; 203. Sliding guide block; 301. Fixing ring; 302. Coarse sanding layer; 303. Coarse alumina grinding layer; 304. Fine alumina grinding layer; 401. Sliding guide rail; 402. Transverse groove. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Example 1: Grinding a glassy carbon electrode with a diameter of 3mm

[0024] A high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes a housing 1, inside which a three-layer polishing device 3 is installed. A fixing device 2 for quickly fixing glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications is located at the upper middle position of the three-layer polishing device 3. Guide rail devices 4, which cooperate with the fixing device 2, are located on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer polishing device 3. The three-layer polishing device 3, from the inside out, consists of a fixing ring 301, a coarse abrasive polishing layer 302, a coarse alumina polishing layer 303, and a fine alumina polishing layer 304. The coarse abrasive polishing layer 302 is used to quickly remove the oxide layer, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303 achieves a rough surface smoothing, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304 completes fine polishing. The guide rail devices 4 allow the fixing device 2 to move radially, and the movement of the fixing device 2 is synchronously controlled with the rotation speed of the polishing layers through a program. The fixing device 2 includes a rubber fixing sleeve 201 installed on the upper end of the three-layer grinding device 3 and a fixing screw 202 detachably connected to one side of the rubber fixing sleeve 201; the guide rail device 4 includes two sets of sliding guide rails 401 installed on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer grinding device 3 and a transverse sliding groove 402 opened inside the sliding guide rail 401. Sliding guide blocks 203 are fixedly connected to both sides of the rubber fixing sleeve 201, and the sliding guide blocks 203 slide inside the transverse sliding groove 402.

[0025] It also includes a power unit, which is a brushless motor with an adjustable speed range of 1000-3000 rpm.

[0026] It also includes a cleaning device, which consists of an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a chamois leather. The cleaning device is compatible with alumina powder abrasive, and the inlet pipe sprays clean water to keep the chamois leather moist.

[0027] A polishing method based on the above-described high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes the following steps: S1: Preprocessing Clean the surface of the glassy carbon electrode with alcohol to remove grease and contaminants; S2: Fixed The pretreated electrode is fixed to the fixing device 2 with the electrode facing down and locked with fixing screw 202. The grinding pressure is adjusted to 0.3MPa. S3: Polishing The power unit is started at 2000 rpm, and the fixed device 2 is driven to move from the inside to the outside through the sliding guide rail 401. It is then polished in sequence through the coarse sand polishing layer 302, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304. The coarse sand polishing layer 302 corresponds to a grinding effect of 600 grit or higher, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303 is suitable for abrasive precision of 5μm, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304 is suitable for abrasive precision of 0.05-0.3μm. The total polishing time is 25 seconds. S4: Cleaning The inlet pipe sprays clean water, the outlet pipe discharges waste liquid, and ultrapure water rinses the electrode to remove residual abrasive. S5: Activation After electrochemical activation, the cyclic voltammetry curve of potassium ferricyanide solution was tested, and the peak potential difference was 85mV, which meets the requirements.

[0028] Example 2: Grinding a 5mm diameter glassy carbon electrode

[0029] A high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes a housing 1, inside which a three-layer polishing device 3 is installed. A fixing device 2 for quickly fixing glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications is located at the upper middle position of the three-layer polishing device 3. Guide rail devices 4, which cooperate with the fixing device 2, are located on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer polishing device 3. The three-layer polishing device 3, from the inside out, consists of a fixing ring 301, a coarse abrasive polishing layer 302, a coarse alumina polishing layer 303, and a fine alumina polishing layer 304. The coarse abrasive polishing layer 302 is used to quickly remove the oxide layer, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303 achieves a rough surface smoothing, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304 completes fine polishing. The guide rail devices 4 allow the fixing device 2 to move radially, and the movement of the fixing device 2 is synchronously controlled with the rotation speed of the polishing layers through a program. The fixing device 2 includes a rubber fixing sleeve 201 installed on the upper end of the three-layer grinding device 3 and a fixing screw 202 detachably connected to one side of the rubber fixing sleeve 201; the guide rail device 4 includes two sets of sliding guide rails 401 installed on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer grinding device 3 and a transverse sliding groove 402 opened inside the sliding guide rail 401. Sliding guide blocks 203 are fixedly connected to both sides of the rubber fixing sleeve 201, and the sliding guide blocks 203 slide inside the transverse sliding groove 402.

[0030] It also includes a power unit, which is a brushless motor with an adjustable speed range of 1000-3000 rpm.

[0031] It also includes a cleaning device, which consists of an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a chamois leather. The cleaning device is compatible with alumina powder abrasive, and the inlet pipe sprays clean water to keep the chamois leather moist.

[0032] A polishing method based on the above-described high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes the following steps: S1: Preprocessing Clean the glassy carbon electrode surface with acetone to remove grease and contaminants; S2: Fixed The pretreated electrode is fixed to the fixing device 2 with the electrode facing down and locked with fixing screw 202. The pressure is adjusted to 0.4MPa. S3: Polishing The power unit is started at 2500 rpm, and the fixed device 2 is driven to move from the inside to the outside through the sliding guide rail 401. The device is then polished in sequence through the coarse sand polishing layer 302, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304. The coarse sand polishing layer 302 corresponds to a grinding effect of 600 grit or higher, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303 is suitable for abrasive precision of 5μm, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304 is suitable for abrasive precision of 0.05-0.3μm. The total polishing time is 30 seconds. S4: Cleaning Rinse the electrode surface with ultrapure water to remove residual abrasive. S5: Test The peak potential difference is 92mV, which meets the experimental accuracy requirements.

[0033] Example 3: Batch grinding of 10 glassy carbon electrodes with a diameter of 4mm

[0034] A high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes a housing 1, inside which a three-layer polishing device 3 is installed. A fixing device 2 for quickly fixing glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications is located at the upper middle position of the three-layer polishing device 3. Guide rail devices 4, which cooperate with the fixing device 2, are located on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer polishing device 3. The three-layer polishing device 3, from the inside out, consists of a fixing ring 301, a coarse abrasive polishing layer 302, a coarse alumina polishing layer 303, and a fine alumina polishing layer 304. The coarse abrasive polishing layer 302 is used to quickly remove the oxide layer, the coarse alumina polishing layer 303 achieves a rough surface smoothing, and the fine alumina polishing layer 304 completes fine polishing. The guide rail devices 4 allow the fixing device 2 to move radially, and the movement of the fixing device 2 is synchronously controlled with the rotation speed of the polishing layers through a program. The fixing device 2 includes a rubber fixing sleeve 201 installed on the upper end of the three-layer grinding device 3 and a fixing screw 202 detachably connected to one side of the rubber fixing sleeve 201; the guide rail device 4 includes two sets of sliding guide rails 401 installed on both sides of the upper end of the three-layer grinding device 3 and a transverse sliding groove 402 opened inside the sliding guide rail 401. Sliding guide blocks 203 are fixedly connected to both sides of the rubber fixing sleeve 201, and the sliding guide blocks 203 slide inside the transverse sliding groove 402.

[0035] It also includes a power unit, which is a brushless motor with an adjustable speed range of 1000-3000 rpm.

[0036] It also includes a cleaning device, which consists of an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a chamois leather. The cleaning device is compatible with alumina powder abrasive, and the inlet pipe sprays clean water to keep the chamois leather moist.

[0037] A polishing method based on the above-described high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine includes the following steps: S1: Preprocessing Ten electrodes were cleaned by soaking them in alcohol to remove grease and contaminants. S2: Fixed The pretreated electrodes are fixed sequentially to the fixing device 2 with the electrodes facing downwards, and locked with fixing screws 202, with a pressure of 0.25MPa for each. S3: Polishing The power unit is started, and the program is set for continuous grinding. The fixed device 2 is driven to move from the inside to the outside through the sliding guide rail 401. The grinding is carried out in sequence through the coarse sand grinding layer 302, the coarse alumina grinding layer 303, and the fine alumina grinding layer 304. The coarse sand grinding layer 302 corresponds to a grinding effect of 600 grit or higher, the coarse alumina grinding layer 303 is suitable for 5μm abrasive precision, and the fine alumina grinding layer 304 is suitable for 0.05-0.3μm abrasive precision. The grinding time for a single electrode is 28 seconds, and the total grinding time is ≤30 minutes. S4: Cleaning Rinse the electrode surface uniformly with ultrapure water to remove residual abrasive; S5: Activation After electrochemical activation treatment, the potential difference of the 10 electrode peaks was between 80-95mV, showing good consistency.

[0038] In summary, the high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polishing machine and polishing method of the present invention can be widely adapted to the pretreatment needs of single or batch glassy carbon electrodes of different specifications, taking into account polishing efficiency, accuracy and stability. It can effectively liberate researchers from repetitive work, provide reliable electrode pretreatment guarantee for electrochemical experiments, and has significant practical value and promotion significance.

Claims

1. A high efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher characterized by, The utility model relates to a three-layer polishing device for glassy carbon electrode, comprising a shell (1), a three-layer polishing device (3) is arranged inside the shell (1), a fixing device (2) for fixing different specifications of glassy carbon electrodes is arranged at the middle position of the upper end of the three-layer polishing device (3), guide rail devices (4) are arranged at both sides of the upper end of the three-layer polishing device (3) and are matched with the fixing device (2); the three-layer polishing device (3) comprises, from inside to outside, a fixed ring (301), a coarse sand polishing layer (302), a coarse alumina polishing layer (303) and a fine alumina polishing layer (304); the coarse sand polishing layer (302) is used for quickly removing the oxide layer, the coarse alumina polishing layer (303) is used for achieving rough polishing, and the fine alumina polishing layer (304) is used for completing fine polishing; the guide rail devices (4) are used for moving the fixing device (2) along the radial direction, and the movement of the fixing device (2) is controlled synchronously with the rotation speed of the polishing layer through a program.

2. The high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher of claim 1, wherein, The fixing device (2) comprises a rubber fixing sleeve (201) arranged at the upper end of the three-layer polishing device (3) and a fixing screw (202) detachably connected to one end outside the rubber fixing sleeve (201).

3. The high efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher of claim 2, wherein, The guide rail devices (4) comprise two groups of sliding guide rails (401) arranged at both sides of the upper end of the three-layer polishing device (3) and transverse sliding grooves (402) arranged inside the sliding guide rails (401).

4. The high efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher of claim 3, wherein, The rubber fixing sleeve (201) is fixedly connected with sliding guide blocks (203) at both sides, and the sliding guide blocks (203) slide in the transverse sliding grooves (402).

5. The high efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher of claim 1, wherein, The power device is a brushless motor, and the rotation speed can be adjusted in the range of 1000-3000 rpm.

6. The high efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher of claim 1, wherein, The cleaning device comprises a water inlet pipe, a water outlet pipe and a suede.

7. The high efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher of claim 6, wherein, The cleaning device is adapted to alumina powder abrasive, and the water inlet pipe sprays clean water to keep the suede wet.

8. A polishing method based on the high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The utility model further comprises the following steps: S1: pretreatment The surface of the glassy carbon electrode is cleaned with alcohol or acetone to remove grease and contaminants; S2: fixation The pretreated electrode is fixed on the fixing device (2) with the electrode facing downward, and the fixing screw (202) is locked; S3: polishing The power device is started, the fixing device (2) is driven to move from inside to outside through the sliding guide rails (401), and the electrode is polished in the coarse sand polishing layer (302), the coarse alumina polishing layer (303) and the fine alumina polishing layer (304) in sequence; S4: cleaning The electrode surface is rinsed with ultrapure water to remove residual abrasive; S5: activation The electrode is electrochemically activated according to actual needs.

9. The high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher and polishing method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S3, the total polishing time is less than or equal to 30 seconds.

10. The high-efficiency glassy carbon electrode polisher and polishing method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S3, the coarse sand polishing layer (302) corresponds to a grinding effect of more than 600 meshes, the coarse alumina polishing layer (303) is adapted to a 5 mu m abrasive precision, and the fine alumina polishing layer (304) is adapted to a 0.05-0.3 mu m abrasive precision.

Images