Stable, high performance MR fluids are at the heart of the MRF process, helping optics manufacturers polish superior optical surfaces. QED offers a family of MR fluids, each with specific properties that enable you to achieve the best possible results for your applications.
Better results, creative solutions.
Need to polish tungsten carbide? We have a fluid for that. Want to aspherize your optics? We have a fluid for that too. Need to achieve ultra-low roughness
(< 1.5 Å rms) for those demanding applications? We have a fluid for that as well.
Removal Rate and Roughness Trends for MR Fluid Options
Notes:
- Removal rate and roughness values vary with material and process settings
- Not all fluids are compatible with each material
- Graphic intended as general guideline; specific removal rate and roughness values may differ for certain material/fluid combinations
C12
C12 is the precision figure correction workhorse fluids for optical glasses. C12 is a cerium-oxide based fluid that offers a balance of removal rate and roughness. C12, introduced in 2018, has improved dispersion and suspension properties.
D10
D10 has excellent performance on poly-crystalline materials like tungsten carbide and silicon carbide. A great choice for smoothing diamond turning marks on IR optics or when you want higher removal rates.
D11
D11 is our highest removal rate fluid. Use D11 when you need to go fast or remove many microns of material. It also provides lower roughness on most materials than D10 – even on glass! A great choice for polishing large parts or aspherizing mild departure aspheres. D11 is the fluid of choice for polishing the hardest materials (e.g. sapphire).
D20
D20 is our low roughness diamond-based fluid. D20 can polish just about any material with very low roughness (as low as 2-3 Å) and very low scatter. It excels at CaF2, optical glasses and other soft materials. If you’re constantly polishing a wide variety of materials, D20 can minimize the downtime of frequent fluid changes.
C30
C30, QED’s lowest roughness MR fluid, routinely polishes surfaces to below 1.5 Å rms roughness on a variety of materials, while reducing defects and increasing the laser damage threshold of your optics. C30 produces pristine surfaces with ultra-low:
- roughness
- scatter
- subsurface damage
Note: All MRF fluids are compatible with both Q22 and Q-flex MRF systems and most polishing heads.