Polishing compounds are liquid and solid. Solid compounds are more used in the metal industry, and liquid ones – for polishing furniture, automotive and artificial stone. The end result is highly dependent on the preparation of the surfaces for polishing as usage of the same pastes can produce very different results.
According to the result sought, the compounds are divided into primary polishing, intermediate polishing and final gloss recovery (as measured by the reflection of the visible image). Also different compounds are selected for different types of metals.
In the manufacture of glossy furniture and the automotive industry, liquid compounds on a water basis are used. Dry or wet polishing can be used. The choice of compounds depends on the color of the surface to be polished – for white surfaces one or two steps of compounds is sufficient, whereas for dark surfaces an intermediate polish is required (four steps may be required in total). When choosing a compound, it is also important to take into account the hardness of the polished coating.