Mystery of Nanostripe Patterns of Aluminium Surface

An Indian research team has deciphered the mystery of microscopic origin of nanostripe patterns on electropolished surface of aluminium. Using sophisticated techniques like atomic force microscopy and computer-based simulations, the researchers have discovered that nanostripe patterns due to relaxation and reconstruction of the new surfaces exposed followed by textural changes at the surface. This is caused by dissolution during polishing on aluminium surface.

These insights will be very handy as electropolished samples have a wide range of industrial applications including the preparation of thin metal samples for transmission electron microscopy because electropolishing does not cause mechanical deformation of surface layers usually observed when mechanical polishing is used. The findings of the study have been published in the 4th March 2009 issue of Nanotechnology.