Polishing Compounds and Their Uses

If you’ve ever worked with metal, you know the importance of the polishing stage to make a product that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Polishing compounds are one of the key materials in the polishing process. These metal polishing compounds come in the form of a bar and, depending on the type of compound, contain different minerals and materials that help achieve a particular polishing job. It can be hard to know which compound to use, so here is a guide to metal polishing compounds and their uses.

Stages of Polishing

Rough Cut

In this first stage of polishing, professionals use a rough abrasive to smooth away any scratches in the metal. This type of buffing smooths by cutting away the excess metal.

Final Cut and Initial Polish

In this stage, intermediate metal polishing compounds continue to cut and smooth the metal material. This type of polishing produces more shine than the first.



Final Polish

In this final stage of polishing, compounds with finer materials are used to give the metal material a smooth, lustrous, final polish.

Types of Compounds

Black

The black polishing compound is the most aggressive polishing compound and typically includes emery as its abrasive. This type of compound is used as a first step in the polishing process of materials that have deep scratches or rough surfaces, as it smooths these scratches with its tough abrasive.

Brown

A brown polishing compound contains Tripoli and is used in the first polishing step of materials that are not too rough or scratched. The brown Tripoli compound is often used to polish softer metals, including silver, brass, copper, and aluminum.

White

White polishing compound is used to polish harder metals like stainless steel and metals that are chrome or nickel-plated. When used on hard metals, it gives them a bright shine.

Green

This type of polishing compound is an intermediate compound that is mainly used on stainless steel. It is sometimes known as Stainless Steel Compound and will leave metals with a bright, mirror-like finish.

Red

Red polishing compound is often referred to as Jeweler’s Rouge because jewelers often use it to polish gold, silver, and other metals. This type of polish only polishes and does not cut away metal.

Blue

A blue polishing compound can be used on nearly any kind of metal to give it a smooth, final polish. This type of polish is often used on platinum and other precious metals.

Knowing about the various types of polishing compounds and their uses will enable you to choose the right kind of polishing compound for your project. If you are looking for a polishing service, CMPI specializes in stainless steel plate polishing as well as pipe, tube, and bar polishing. We will help you achieve your desired shine on your stainless steel project.