Methods of forming cutting elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11885182-B2
Application number	US-202217662871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2022
Priority date	May 30, 2018
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

A cutting element comprises a supporting substrate, and a cutting table attached to an end of the supporting substrate. The cutting table comprises inter-bonded diamond particles, and a thermally stable material within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles. The thermally stable material comprises a carbide precipitate having the general chemical formula, A3XZn-1, where A comprises one or more of Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, and U; X comprises one or more of Al, Ga, Sn, Be, Bi, Te, Sb, Se, As, Ge, Si, B, and P; Z comprises C; and n is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.75. A method of forming a cutting element, an earth-boring tool, a supporting substrate, and a method of forming a supporting substrate are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a cutting element, comprising:
providing a diamond-containing material comprising discrete diamond particles over a substrate;
sintering the diamond-containing material in the presence of a liquid phase of a homogenized alloy comprising at least one first element selected from Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, and U, and at least one second element selected from Al, Ga, Sn, Be, Bi, Te, Sb, Se, As, Ge, Si, B, and P to inter-bond the discrete diamond particles; and
converting portions of the homogenized alloy within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles into a thermally stable material comprising: one or more carbide precipitates having the general chemical formula:
A 3 XZ 1-n ,
where A comprises the at least one first element;
X comprises the at least one second element;
Z comprises C; and
n is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.75; and

one or more of an FCC L1 2 phase precipitate, an FCC DO 22 phase precipitate, a D8 5 phase precipitate, a DO 19 phase precipitate, a BCC/B2 phase precipitate, and an FCC L1 0 phase precipitate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising formulating the homogenized alloy to have an amount of the at least one second element capable of substantially suppressing reactions between the at least one first element and C that would otherwise form a binary carbide when the discrete diamond particles of the diamond-containing material are exposed to the liquid phase of the homogenized alloy.

3. A method of forming a cutting element, comprising:
providing a diamond-containing material comprising discrete diamond particles over a substrate;
sintering the diamond-containing material in the presence of a liquid phase of a homogenized alloy comprising at least one first element selected from Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ac, Th, Pa, and U, and at least one second element selected from Al, Ga, Sn, Be, Bi, Te, Sb, Se, As, Ge, Si, B, and P to inter-bond the discrete diamond particles; and
converting portions of the homogenized alloy within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles into a thermally stable material substantially free of Co, the thermally stable material comprising one or more carbide precipitates having the general chemical formula:
A 3 XZ 1-n ,

where A comprises the at least one first element;
X comprises the at least one second element;
Z comprises C; and
n is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.75.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
providing the diamond-containing material over the substrate comprises providing the diamond-containing material directly on a supporting substrate comprising a homogenized binder comprising C, W, the at least one first element, and the at least one second element, and WC particles dispersed within the homogenized binder; and
sintering the diamond-containing material in the presence of the liquid phase of the homogenized alloy comprises subjecting the supporting substrate and the diamond-containing material to elevated temperatures and elevated pressures to melt and diffuse a portion of the homogenized binder of the supporting substrate into the diamond-containing material and catalyze the formation of the inter-bonded diamond particles.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising selecting the homogenized binder of the supporting substrate to have a melting temperature greater than or equal to about 750° C.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising forming the diamond-containing material to comprise the discrete diamond particles and discrete alloy particles individually comprising the at least one first element and the at least one second element, and wherein sintering the diamond-containing material in the presence of the liquid phase of the homogenized alloy comprises subjecting the diamond-containing material to elevated temperatures and elevated pressures to melt the discrete alloy particles and catalyze the formation of the inter-bonded diamond particles.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising selecting the discrete alloy particles to individually comprise a homogenized alloy selected from Sm 3 Sn, Sm 3 Bi, Sm 3 Te, Sm 3 P, Sm 3 Si, Sm 3 Ga, Sc 3 Sn, Sc 3 Ge, Sc 3 Sb, Sc 3 As, Sm 3 Be, Sc 3 P, Sc 3 Si, Y 3 Sn, Sc 3 Bi, Tm 3 Sn, Er 3 Sn, Sc 3 Te, Y 3 Sb, Sc 3 Se, Ho 3 Sn, Sc 3 Ga, Dy 3 Sn, Y 3 Bi, Tb 3 Sn, Tm 3 Sb, Er 3 Sb, Lu 3 Sb, Lu 3 Ge, Ti 3 Ga, Ti 3 Ge, Gd 3 Sn, Tb 3 Sb, Y 3 Ge, Er 3 Bi, Ho 3 Bi, Tm 3 Bi, Lu 3 As, Tm 3 Ge, Dy 3 Bi, Lu 3 Bi, Tm 3 As, Tb 3 Bi, Ti 3 Sn, Er 3 As, Ti 3 Si, Y 3 Te, Gd 3 Bi, Ce 3 Te, Ti 3 Al, Zr 3 Sn, Dy 3 As, La 3 Bi, Sc 3 Al, Yb 3 Se, Tb 3 As, Lu 3 P, Yb 3 Te, Lu 3 Sn, Eu 3 Se, Er 3 Te, Ti 3 Sb, Lu 3 Si, Tm 3 Te, Tm 3 P, Gd 3 Te, Gd 3 As, Zr 3 Sb, Lu 3 Ga, Er 3 P, Sm 3 B, Lu 3 Te, Ho 3 P, Tm 3 Si, Er 3 Si, Dy 3 P, Tm 3 Ga, Ce 3 As, Y 3 Ga, Ho 3 Si, Tb 3 P, Er 3 Ga, Dy 3 Si, Eu 3 Bi, Hf 3 Ga, Ho 3 Ga, Gd 3 P, Gd 3 Se, Lu 3 Al, Ce 3 Sn, Tb 3 Si, Hf 3 Sn, Dy 3 Ga, Tm 3 Al, Gd 3 Si, Ti 3 Bi, Tb 3 Ga, Er 3 Al, Yb 3 Bi, Yb 3 Sb, La 3 P, Eu 3 As, Fe 3 Al, Ho 3 Al, Gd 3 Ga, Yb 3 As, Th 3 Bi, Ac 3 Sb, Th 3 Sn, Tb 3 Al, Eu 3 P, Fe 3 Si, Ti 3 Be, Yb 3 P, Gd 3 Al, Hf 3 P, V 3 Si, Ce 3 Si, V 3 Ge, Fe 3 Ga, Rh 3 Al, Th 3 Ge, V 3 Al, Fe 3 Ge, V 3 Ga, Th 3 P, V 3 P, V 3 Sn, Fe 3 Sn, Zr 3 Be, Hf 3 Be, Nb 3 Ga, Sc 3 Be, Th 3 Al, V 3 Sb, Ce 3 Al, Co 3 Al, V 3 As, Ni 3 Al, Co 3 Ga, Ti 3 B, Rh 3 Ga, Fe 3 Be, Fe 3 Sb, Sc 3 B, U 3 P, Fe 3 P, Co 3 Si, Hf 3 Bi, V 3 Be, V 3 Te, Ni 3 Ga, Lu 3 Be, Mn 3 Al, Ru 3 Al, Fe 3 As, Ta 3 Sn, Mn 3 Si, V 3 Se, U 3 Se, Co 3 Sn, Co 3 Be, Co 3 Ge, U 3 Si, Cr 3 Si, V 3 Bi, Tc 3 Al, La 3 Si, Rh 3 Sn, Cr 3 Al, U 3 As, Mn 3 Ga, Th 3 Si, Rh 3 Be, Ni 3 Be, Mn 3 Ge, Cr 3 Ge, Pd 3 Al, and Cr 3 Ga.

8. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing an alloy material comprising a substantially homogeneous alloy of the at least one first element and the at least one second element directly adjacent one or more outermost boundaries of the diamond-containing material, and wherein sintering the diamond-containing material in the presence of the liquid phase of the homogenized alloy comprises subjecting the diamond-containing material and the alloy material to elevated temperatures and elevated pressures to melt and diffuse a portion of the substantially homogeneous alloy of the alloy material into the diamond-containing material and catalyze the formation of the inter-bonded diamond particles.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising selecting the substantially homogeneous alloy from Sm 3 Sn, Sm 3 Bi, Sm 3 Te, Sm 3 P, Sm 3 Si, Sm 3 Ga, Sc 3 Sn, Sc 3 Ge, Sc 3 Sb, Sc 3 As, Sm 3 Be, Sc 3 P, Sc 3 Si, Y 3 Sn, Sc 3 Bi, Tm 3 Sn, Er 3 Sn, Sc 3 Te, Y 3 Sb, Sc 3 Se, Ho 3 Sn, Sc 3 Ga, Dy 3 Sn, Y 3 Bi, Tb 3 Sn, Tm 3 Sb, Er 3 Sb, Lu 3 Sb, Lu 3 Ge, Ti 3 Ga, Ti 3 Ge, Gd 3 Sn, Tb 3 Sb, Y 3 Ge, Er 3 Bi, Ho 3 Bi, Tm 3 Bi, Lu 3 As, Tm 3 Ge, Dy 3 Bi, Lu 3 Bi, Tm 3 As, Tb 3 Bi, Ti 3 Sn, Er 3 As, Ti 3 Si, Y 3 Te, Gd 3 Bi, Ce 3 Te, Ti 3 Al, Zr 3 Sn, Dy 3 As, La 3 Bi, Sc 3 Al, Yb 3 Se, Tb 3 As, Lu 3 P, Yb 3 Te, Lu 3 Sn, Eu 3 Se, Er 3 Te, Ti 3 Sb, Lu 3 Si, Tm 3 Te, Tm 3 P, Gd 3 Te, Gd 3 As, Zr 3 Sb, Lu 3 Ga, Er 3 P, Sm 3 B, Lu 3 Te, Ho 3 P, Tm 3 Si, Er 3 Si, Dy 3 P, Tm 3 Ga, Ce 3 As, Y 3 Ga, Ho 3 Si, Tb 3 P, Er 3 Ga, Dy 3 Si, Eu 3 Bi, Hf 3 Ga, Ho 3 Ga, Gd 3 P, Gd 3 Se, Lu 3 Al, Ce 3 Sn, Tb 3 Si, Hf 3 Sn, Dy 3 Ga, Tm 3 Al, Gd 3 Si, Ti 3 Bi, Tb 3 Ga, Er 3 Al, Yb 3 Bi, Yb 3 Sb, La 3 P, Eu 3 As, Fe 3 Al, Ho 3 Al, Gd 3 G

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Cao Wanjun
• Bird Marc W

Classifications

• E21B10/5735 Primary

  Interface between the substrate and the cutting element · CPC title

• B24D18/0009 Primary

  using moulds or presses · CPC title

• C04B35/528

  obtained from carbonaceous particles with or without other non-organic components · CPC title

• C04B35/56

  based on carbides {or oxycarbides (containing free metal binder C22C29/00)} · CPC title

• C04B35/563

  based on boron carbide · CPC title