Assemblies for making superhard products by high pressure/high temperature processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10562000-B2
Application number	US-201615556645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

Assemblies as disclosed herein for making superhard products by HPHT process comprise a first can portion for accommodating a mixture of materials therein and a second can mated with the first can portion. A leak-tight seal is provided between the first can portion and second can portion in a manner that accommodates the manufacture of relatively longer superhard products without having to change other elements or members used for HPHT processing to thereby provide improved manufacturing flexibility and cost efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for making superhard constructions by high pressure/high temperature process comprising:
a first can portion for accommodating a mixture of materials therein for forming a superhard product by high temperature/high pressure process;
a second can portion disposed over an open end of the first can portion and having a closed end and a sidewall extending from the closed end, the second can portion sidewall extending an axial length along an outer sidewall surface of the first can portion to provide an overlap therewith;
a stop off interposed between the first can portion and an inside surface of the second can portion to form a barrier therebetween;
a sealant material disposed along the outer sidewall surface of the first can portion and positioned adjacent an open end of the second can portion positioned along the outer sidewall surface of the first can portion; and
a third can portion having a closed end and a sidewall extending from the closed end, wherein an inner surface of the third can portion closed end is disposed over an outer surface of the second can portion closed end, and wherein the third can portion sidewall extends a complete axial length along an outer sidewall surface of the second can portion and at least a partial axial length along the sealant material such that the sealant material is interposed within an annular region between the first can portion outer sidewall surface and an inner sidewall surface of the third can portion,
wherein the first can portion, the second can portion and the third can portion are made from a material that does not melt during the high temperature/high pressure process used for making superhard constructions.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the second can portion is in the form of a cup, and wherein the cup sidewall extends axially a distance from the cup closed end that covers about 5 to 25 percent of the total length of the first can portion sidewall as measured from the first can portion open end.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the third can portion is in the form of a cap, and wherein the cap sidewall extends axially a distance from the cap closed end that covers about 35 to 75 percent of the total length of the first can portion sidewall as measured from the first can portion open end.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the sealant material is positioned adjacent a terminal edge of an open end of the cup.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the stop off extends circumferentially between the inner surface of the cup closed and the first can portion open end to prevent migration of the sealant material into the mixture of materials.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the sealant material has a radial thickness that is similar to a thickness of the can second portion sidewall.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the sealant material is provided in the form of two or more layers around the first can portion sidewall outer surface.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the second can portion is formed from a material that operates as an attractant to the sealing material when the sealing material is melted during processing.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the second can portion is formed from steel.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the second can portion is formed from steel and the sealant material comprises copper.

11. An assembly for making superhard constructions by high pressure/high temperature process, the assembly comprising before being subjected to the high pressure/high temperature process:
a can for accommodating a mixture of materials therein for forming a superhard product by high temperature/high pressure process, the can having a closed end, and a cylindrical sidewall extending from the closed end to an open end;
a cup having a closed end disposed over the can open end, and the cup having a sidewall extending axially a distance along an outer surface of the can sidewall;
a sealant material disposed around the outer surface of the can sidewall adjacent an end of the cup sidewall, wherein the sealant material is formed from a material that has an affinity with the cup when the sealant material is melted; and
a cap having a closed end and a sidewall extending axially therefrom, wherein the cap is disposed over the cup and the cap sidewall extends over an outer surface of the cup sidewall and extends over at least a portion of the sealant material,
wherein the can, cap and cup are made from materials that do not melt during the high pressure/high temperature process.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 11 further comprising a stop off material that is positioned between adjacent surfaces of the can and cup to prevent migration of the sealant material there past during high pressure/high temperature conditions.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein the stop off material is positioned along an inside surface of the cup closed end.

14. The assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the sealant material is positioned adjacent the cup open end.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the sealant material has a thickness that is substantially the same as a thickness of the cup sidewall.

16. The assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein substantially all of the sealant material is covered by the cup sidewall.

17. The assembly as recited in claim 11 comprising a seal formed between opposed portions of the can sidewall outer surface and the cap sidewall inner surface when the sealant material is melted.

18. A method for forming a seal in an assembly used to make superhard constructions at high pressure/high temperature conditions, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a mixture of precursor superhard materials into a first can portion comprising a closed end with a sidewall extending axially therefrom to an open end;
covering the open end with a cup having a closed end and having a sidewall extending axially therefrom and along an outer surface of the first can portion sidewall;
applying a sealant material along the outer surface the first can portion sidewall;
placing a second can portion having a closed end and a sidewall extending axially therefrom over an outer surface of the cup closed end and the cup sidewall to cover the cup and form an assembly, wherein at least a portion of the sealant material is covered by the second can portion sidewall; and
subjecting the assembly to a temperature sufficient to melt the sealant material to cause the sealant material to migrate and occupy an annular region between overlapping sidewalls of the first can portion and second can portion, wherein the can, cup and cap are made from materials that do not melt during the high pressure/high temperature process.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein during the step of subjecting, migration of the melted sealant material is controlled to a region adjacent the second can portion by reason of the second can portion being formed from a material that the sealant material has an affinity for.

20. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein during the step of subjecting, migration of the sealant material in liquid or vapor form into a region of the first can portion containing the mixture is prevented by a stop off interposed between opposed surfaces of the first can portion and the cup.

Assignees

• Smith International

Inventors

• Denboer David P
• Hamilton Clint
• France Michael David
• Davis Ryan J
• Belnap Lynn L
• Fang Yi

Classifications

• B01J3/065 Primary

  Presses for the formation of diamonds or boronitrides · CPC title

• B29C43/006

  Pressing and sintering powders, granules or fibres · CPC title