Composite materials including nanoparticles, earth-boring tools and components including such composite materials, polycrystalline materials including nanoparticles, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10124404-B2
Application number	US-201113253758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2011
Priority date	Oct 8, 2010
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A composite material comprising a plurality of hard particles surrounded by a matrix material comprising a plurality of nanoparticles. Earth boring tools including the composite material and methods of forming the composite material are also disclosed. A polycrystalline material having a catalyst material including nanoparticles in interstitial spaces between inter-bonded crystals of the polycrystalline material and methods of forming the polycrystalline material are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite material comprising:
a matrix material comprising indium and dispersed carbon nanotubes; and
a discontinuous phase comprising hard particles dispersed within the matrix material, the hard particles exhibiting an average diameter in a range extending from about 0.5 microns to about 20.0 microns and comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of diamond, tungsten boride, titanium boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, vanadium boride, hafnium boride, zirconium boride, silicon boride, tantalum boride, and chromium boride;
the carbon nanotubes exhibiting an average diameter of about 500 nm or less, wherein the matrix material comprises between about 1% and about 25% carbon nanotubes by weight and the carbon nanotubes improve formation and help prevent degradation of intergranular bonds in the composite material.

2. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes exhibit at least one of a higher strength, yield point, ductility, impact strength, or abrasivity than the matrix material.

3. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise a coating thereon.

4. The composite material of claim 3 , wherein the coating is formulated to increase the wettability of the carbon nanotubes by the matrix material.

5. The composite material of claim 4 , wherein the coating comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of tin oxide (SnO 2 ), tungsten, nickel, and titanium.

6. The composite material of claim 3 , wherein the coating is formulated to be resistant to dissolving within the matrix material.

7. The composite material of claim 1 , wherein the composite material comprises a hardfacing material.

8. A cutting element for use on an earth-boring drill bit, the cutting element comprising:
a member including a segment-retaining portion and a drill bit attachment portion attachable to a drill bit; and
a segment secured to the segment-retaining portion of the member and comprising a matrix material comprising indium and dispersed carbon nanotubes, and a discontinuous phase comprising hard particles dispersed within the matrix material;
wherein the hard particles exhibit an average diameter in a range extending from about 0.5 microns to about 20.0 microns and comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of diamond, tungsten boride, titanium boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, vanadium boride, hafnium boride, zirconium boride, silicon boride, tantalum boride, and chromium boride;
wherein the matrix material comprises between about 1% and about 25% carbon nanotubes by weight;
wherein the carbon nanotubes exhibit an average diameter of about 500 nm or less; and
wherein the carbon nanotubes improve formation and help prevent degradation of intergranular bonds in the composite material.

9. An earth-boring tool for drilling subterranean formations, the earth-boring tool comprising:
a bit body including a crown region comprising a particle-matrix composite material, the particle-matrix composite material comprising a matrix material comprising indium and dispersed carbon nanotubes, and a discontinuous phase comprising hard particles dispersed within the matrix material;
wherein the hard particles exhibit an average diameter in a range extending from about 0.5 microns to about 20.0 microns and comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of diamond, tungsten boride, titanium boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, vanadium boride, hafnium boride, zirconium boride, silicon boride, tantalum boride, and chromium boride;
wherein the matrix material comprises between about 1% and about 25% carbon nanotubes by weight;
wherein the carbon nanotubes exhibit an average diameter of about 500 nm or less; and
wherein the carbon nanotubes improve formation and help prevent degradation of intergranular bonds in the composite material; and

at least one cutting structure disposed on the bit body.

10. A method of forming a composite material, the method comprising:
melting a matrix material to form a molten matrix material comprising a metal alloy comprising indium;
adding carbon nanotubes to the molten matrix material to form a molten matrix material mixture, the molten matrix material mixture comprising between about 1% and about 25% carbon nanotubes by weight, and the carbon nanotubes exhibiting an average diameter of about 500 nm or less;
infiltrating hard particles with the molten matrix material mixture, the hard particles exhibiting an average diameter in a range extending from about 0.5 microns to about 20.0 microns and comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of diamond, tungsten boride, titanium boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, vanadium boride, hafnium boride, zirconium boride, silicon boride, tantalum boride, and chromium boride; and
cooling the molten matrix material mixture to form a composite material comprising the matrix material, the hard particles and the carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes in the matrix material are interspersed between hard particles such that the carbon nanotubes improve formation and help prevent degradation of intergranular bonds in the composite material.

11. A composition of matter comprising:
a matrix material comprising dispersed carbon nanotubes and a metal alloy comprising indium; and
a discontinuous phase comprising hard particles dispersed within the matrix material, the hard particles exhibiting an average diameter in a range extending from about 0.5 microns to about 20.0 microns and comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of diamond, tungsten boride, titanium boride, molybdenum boride, niobium boride, vanadium boride, hafnium boride, zirconium boride, silicon boride, tantalum boride, and chromium boride;
the carbon nanotubes exhibiting an average diameter of about 500 nm or less, wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise between about 1% and about 25% of the matrix material by weight, improve formation of intergranular bonds, and help prevent degradation of intergranular bonds in the composition.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise a coating thereon.

13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the coating is formulated to increase wettability of the carbon nanotubes by the matrix material.

14. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the coating is formulated to resist dissolution of the carbon nanotubes in the matrix material.

Assignees

• Scott Danny E
• Digiovanni Anthony A
• Eason Jimmy W
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Scott Danny E
• Digiovanni Anthony A
• Eason Jimmy W

Classifications

• C22C32/0047

  with carbides, nitrides, borides or silicides as the main non-metallic constituents · CPC title

• B22F1/0003

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• E21B10/55

  with preformed cutting elements · CPC title

• B22F3/12

  Both compacting and sintering (by forging B22F3/17) · CPC title

• B22F7/08

  with one or more parts not made from powder {(B22F7/062 takes precedence)} · CPC title