Lens makers and glass workers have switched to it from Jeweler's rouge (Iron oxide) for the final polishing step. It's great impregnated in a strip of leather or on a polishing wheel in the shop for the last step in sharpening tools. I works faster then rouge and being cream colored doesn't make a red mess everywhere.

Check it out here.

I use CO as the final polish on Obsidian, volcanic glass, that I tumble. There are several grades, the highest being the optical. It's not inexpensive, though!

Thanks for the info! I just bought some glass polish to remove water spots on my truck. I could have just bought a bag of Cerium oxide for a lot less money.

How well would this work to remove light scratches from polymer lenses?

In my limited experience, this is only for the final polishing. If you are gonna try to remove any deep scratches, etc., you're gonna be rubbing for a L-O-N-G time.

I have an RMSc, which has a polymer lens, that has some very light surface scratches. Maybe they would be better described as marks. I can leave it as is, for now, because they are not interfering with my sight picture.

When the time comes, if this will remove them without damaging the lens and distorting the view, it would be a lot easier and less expensive than shipping the sight back to the mfg. in England to have the lens replaced.

My only experience with CO has been with the final polishing after sharpening tools. My impression is that it's far too fine an abrasive to remove scratches.

quote:

you're gonna be rubbing for a L-O-N-G time.

Some guys enjoy that.

Aluminum oxide has always been used to grind/polish lenses. Cerium oxide is very fine to removed anything but extremely fine scratches.

I have some cheap polymer reading glasses, which I'm about ready to replace, that I can try it on first.

Thanks for the post Jim!