About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2022 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
Symposium
|
Advances in Surface Engineering IV
|
Presentation Title |
Finite Element Simulation for the Electropolishing of Niobium |
Author(s) |
Kaiwen Wang, Wenjun Cai, Hui Tian, Charles E Reece |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kaiwen Wang |
Abstract Scope |
Niobium is a commonly used material to construct high-field superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavity. To achieve the required surface smoothness, the internal surface of the niobium cavities is often processed by electropolishing. It is extremely important to understand the electrochemical kinetics of the reactions happened at the surface, the Joule heating and heat transfer during the electropolishing process for different structured SRF cavities. In this work, finite element method was used to investigate the mechanisms of electropolishing by simulating the current distribution, oxide growth, concentration of ion species and Joule heating with the actual geometry of the niobium cavity considered. The model successfully predicts the difference in the resulting surface quality caused by geometry effect as well as different electropolishing parameters, which includes the applied voltage and the dimensions of the cathode. The model results provide better understanding of the electropolishing mechanisms of niobium for future cavity design and process control. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
Keywords |
Modeling and Simulation, Electrometallurgy, Surface Modification and Coatings |