Cemented carbide composite for a downhole tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10267095-B2
Application number	US-201615131186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 4, 2013
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A carbide composite for a downhole tool may be formed by depositing a first layer on a substrate, and a second layer at least partially adjacent to the first layer. The first and second layers may each include carbides, metal binders, organic binders, or a combination thereof. The first and second carbide layers may have a different particle size, particle shape, carbide concentration, metal binder concentration, or organic binder concentration from one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A carbide composite for a downhole tool, comprising:
a carbide layer, the carbide layer comprising tungsten carbide and cobalt, wherein the carbide layer is from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick; and
a second layer at least partially adjacent to and bound to the carbide layer, the second layer comprising one or more carbides, the second layer further comprising one or more metal binders, organic binders, or a combination thereof, the carbide layer and second layer having a different particle size, particle shape, carbide concentration, metal binder concentration, or organic binder concentration from one another, wherein the second layer is from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick,
wherein the carbide composite has a density from about 75% to about 85% based on a theoretical density of the carbide composite.

2. The carbide composite of claim 1 , wherein the second layer further comprises diamond particles.

3. The carbide composite of claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises at least tungsten carbide in addition to a carbide selected from the group consisting of titanium carbide, vanadium carbide, chromium carbide, zirconium carbide, niobium carbide, molybdenum carbide, hafnium carbide, tantalum carbide, and combinations thereof.

4. The carbide composite of claim 1 , wherein the metal binder in the second layer is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, ruthenium, osmium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, and combinations thereof.

5. The carbide composite of claim 1 , further comprising a polycrystalline diamond layer at least partially adjacent to and bound to the carbide layer.

6. The carbide composite of claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises an organic binder selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyol ether-esters, chlorinated naphthalenes, hydrocarbon waxes, and combinations thereof.

7. The carbide composite of claim 1 , wherein the metal binder in the second layer is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and combinations thereof.

8. A carbide composite for a downhole tool, formed by a method comprising:
depositing at least fifty layers together in the form of at least a portion of a cutting tool, depositing the at least fifty layers including:
depositing a first layer on an underlying layer, the first layer comprising one or more first carbides, the first layer being from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick;
depositing a second layer at least partially adjacent the first layer, the second layer comprising one or more second carbides and one or more metal binders, the second layer being from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick, and wherein the first and second layers have a controlled difference from one another, the controlled difference including at least one of a different particle size, particle shape, carbide concentration, or metal binder concentration; and
binding the first and second layers to form the carbide composite,
wherein the first and second layers are formed and bound by additive manufacturing using a CAD assembly.

9. The carbide composite of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises heating and pressing the carbide composite.

10. The carbide composite of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises milling one or more components of the first or second layers before depositing the first and second layers.

11. The carbide composite of claim 10 , wherein milling coats the first carbide or second carbide with at least one organic binder.

12. The carbide composite of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises granulating the components of the first or second layers before depositing the first and second layers to facilitate flow of the components.

13. The carbide composite of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises pre-sintering the carbide composite to remove at least a portion of an organic binder contained therein.

14. The carbide composite of claim 8 , wherein the CAD assembly includes a digital design.

15. A carbide composite for a downhole tool, formed by a method comprising:
depositing at least fifty slices together in the form of at least a portion of a cutting tool, each slice including two or more layers, and depositing the at least fifty layers including at least:
depositing a first carbide layer on a substrate, the carbide layer comprising tungsten carbide and cobalt, the first carbide layer being from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick;
depositing a second layer at least partially on the first carbide layer, the second layer comprising one or more carbides and one or more metal binders, the second layer being from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick, and wherein the first carbide layer and the second layer have a controlled difference from one another, the controlled difference including at least one of a different particle size, particle shape, carbide concentration, or metal binder concentration;
heating the second layer and melting the one or more metal binders of the second layer, and thereby binding the first carbide layer and second layer to form the first slice;
depositing a third carbide layer on the first slice, the third carbide layer comprising tungsten carbide and cobalt, the first carbide layer being from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick;
depositing a fourth layer at least partially on the third carbide layer, the fourth layer comprising one or more carbides and one or more one or more metal binders, the fourth layer being from about 0.0005 cm to about 0.06 cm thick, and wherein the third carbide layer and the fourth layer have a controlled difference from one another, the controlled difference including at least one of a different particle size, particle shape, carbide concentration, or metal binder concentration;
heating the fourth layer and melting the one or more metal binders of the fourth layer, and thereby binding the third carbide layer and fourth layer to form the second slice; and
sintering the carbide composite to form a polycrystalline diamond insert,
wherein the first and third carbide layers the second and fourth layers, and the first and second slices are formed by additive manufacturing using a CAD assembly.

16. The carbide composite of claim 15 , wherein sintering the carbide composite comprises heating and pressing the carbide composite.

17. The carbide composite of claim 16 , wherein sintering the carbide composite comprises vacuum sintering the carbide composite or hot isostatic pressing the carbide composite.

18. The carbide composite of claim 8 , the one or more second carbides of the second layer including tungsten carbide and the one or more metal binders of the second layer including cobalt.

19. The carbide composite of claim 15 , the one or more carbides of the second layer including tungsten carbide, and the one or more metal binders of the second layer including cobalt.

20. The carbide composite of claim 1 , wherein a central portion of the carbide layer has a controlled carbide concentration different than at least one outer portion of the carbide layer.

Assignees

• Smith International

Inventors

• Keshavan Madapusi K

Classifications

• B24D18/0054

  by impressing abrasive powder in a matrix · CPC title

• E21B10/567 Primary

  with preformed cutting elements mounted on a distinct support, e.g. polycrystalline inserts · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• E21B10/56 Primary

  Button-type inserts (E21B10/52 takes precedence) · CPC title