Method for the polishing and finishing of optical lenses

A method of finishing an optical quality surface, comprising the steps of:

• providing an optical quality surface having a first major surface, said first major surface having an initial Rtm value of greater than 0.35 micrometers;
• bringing said first major surface into a frictional contacting relationship with an abrasive article, wherein said abrasive article comprises a sheet-like structure having deployed on at least one major surface thereof a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed in a binder forming a plurality of abrasive composites, wherein said binder is formed from a binder precursor comprising a resin polymerized via an addition mechanism;
• moving at least one of said contacting first major surface and abrasive article relative to each other in the presence of a liquid essentially free of abrasive particles in a manner and for a time effective to polish said first major surface to a finished having a final Rtm value of 0.30 micrometers or less that is suitable for application thereon of a polymeric lens coating composition, the step of moving the first major surface and abrasive article relative to each other to erode the abrasive composites to bring a continuous supply of new abrasive particles on the abrasive composites into engagement with the first major surface;
• and
• removing essentially all abrasive particles eroded from the abrasive composites from an interface between the first major surface and the abrasive article so that polishing is substantially accomplished by the abrasive composites.

A method for polishing an optical quality surface comprising the step of:

• providing an optical quality surface having a first major surface, said first major surface having an initial Rtm value of greater than 0.35 micrometers;
• bringing said first major surface into a frictional contacting relationship with an abrasive article, wherein said abrasive article comprises a sheet-like structure having deployed on at least one major surface thereof a plurality of individual abrasive composites, each composite comprising a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed in a binder, the binder being selected from a group consisting of vinyl ethers and free radical curable resin with a plasticizer;
• moving at least one of said contacting first major surface and abrasive article relative to each other in the presence of a liquid essentially free of abrasive particles in a manner and for a time effective to polish said first major surface to provide a finished surface having final Rtm value of 0.30 micrometers or less, the step of moving the first major surface and abrasive article relative to each other and to erode the abrasive composites to bring a continuous supply of new abrasive particles in the abrasive composites into engagement with the first major surface;
• and
• removing essentially all abrasive particles eroded from the abrasive composites from an interface between the first major surface and the abrasive article so that polishing is substantially accomplished by the abrasive composites.