Electrolyte medium and method for electrochemical polishing of metal workpieces using such an electrolyte medium

Abstract

An electrolyte medium for electrochemical polishing of metal workpieces, which contains a plurality of solid granulate particles and a liquid electrolyte. The liquid electrolyte comprises an emulsion with a continuous phase of at least one electrically conductive hydrophilic liquid and, emulsified herein, a disperse phase of at least one hydrophobic liquid which is immiscible with the electrically conductive hydrophilic liquid and is less electrically conductive by comparison. A method provides for electrochemical polishing of metal workpieces, wherein an electrolyte medium of the aforementioned kind is added to a container and electrically conductively connected to a cathode, the metal workpiece being electrically conductively connected to an anode and being dipped into the electrolyte medium located in the container, the electrodes being acted on by an electrical voltage and the workpiece being moved relative to the plurality of solid granulate particles of the electrolyte medium.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.