Leached superabrasive elements and systems, methods and assemblies for processing superabrasive materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12296435-B2
Application number	US-202318371298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2023
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A method of processing a superabrasive element includes providing a superabrasive element including a polycrystalline diamond table that includes a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table. The method also includes leaching the metallic material from at least a volume of the polycrystalline diamond table to produce a leached volume in the polycrystalline diamond table.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A superabrasive element comprising:
a polycrystalline diamond table comprising:
a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table;
an unleached volume including the metallic material disposed in the interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table; and
a leached volume where at least some of the metallic material disposed in the interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table has been removed with a leaching process,
wherein at least a portion of a cobalt material has been removed from the metallic material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table while a tungsten material remains in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table, and
wherein the metallic material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table includes a ratio of the cobalt material relative to the tungsten material that is greater than a ratio of a cobalt material relative to a tungsten material in the unleached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table.

2. The superabrasive element of claim 1 , wherein the cobalt material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table has been substantially removed from the metallic material.

3. The superabrasive element of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the tungsten material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table is similar to another amount of tungsten material in the interstitial spaces in the unleached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table.

4. The superabrasive element of claim 1 , wherein the metallic material from a portion of the polycrystalline diamond table has been leached to a first depth relative to a superabrasive face of the superabrasive element, and wherein the metallic material from an external side region of the polycrystalline diamond table has been leached to a second depth relative to the superabrasive face of the superabrasive element, the second depth being greater than the first depth.

5. The superabrasive element of claim 1 , wherein the leaching process comprises:
exposing at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond table to a processing solution; and
applying a charge to the processing solution to generate a voltage between the polycrystalline diamond table and an electrode via the processing solution.

6. The superabrasive element of claim 5 , wherein the processing solution includes an organic acid and a divalent metal salt.

7. The superabrasive element of claim 6 , wherein the divalent metal salt comprises a Group II metal salt selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide salts of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium, and combinations thereof.

8. The superabrasive element of claim 1 , wherein the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table substantially lacks the cobalt material while the tungsten material remains in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table.

9. The superabrasive element of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate attached to the polycrystalline diamond table.

10. The superabrasive element of claim 9 , further comprising a protective layer surrounding at least the substrate.

11. A superabrasive element comprising:
a polycrystalline diamond table comprising:
a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table;
an unleached volume including the metallic material disposed in the interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table; and
a leached volume where at least some of the metallic material disposed in the interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table has been removed with a leaching process,
wherein at least a portion of a cobalt material has been removed from the metallic material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table while a tungsten material remains in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table, and
wherein:
an amount of the tungsten material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table is similar to another amount of tungsten material in the interstitial spaces in the unleached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table; or
the metallic material from a portion of the polycrystalline diamond table has been leached to a first depth relative to a superabrasive face of the superabrasive element, and wherein the metallic material from an external side region of the polycrystalline diamond table has been leached to a second depth relative to the superabrasive face of the superabrasive element, the second depth being greater than the first depth.

12. The superabrasive element of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond table has been exposed to a charged processing solution including an organic acid and a divalent metal salt in the leaching process.

13. The superabrasive element of claim 11 , further comprising a substrate having a protective layer attached to the polycrystalline diamond table.

14. A superabrasive element comprising:
a polycrystalline diamond table comprising:
a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table;
an unleached volume including the metallic material disposed in the interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table; and
a leached volume where at least some of the metallic material disposed in the interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond table has been removed with a leaching process,
wherein at least a portion of a cobalt material has been removed from the metallic material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table while a tungsten material remains in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table;
wherein the leaching process comprises:
exposing at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond table to a processing solution; and
applying a charge to the processing solution to generate a voltage between the polycrystalline diamond table and an electrode via the processing solution; and

wherein the processing solution includes an organic acid and a divalent metal salt.

15. The superabrasive element of claim 14 , wherein the divalent metal salt comprises a Group II metal salt selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide salts of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium, and combinations thereof.

16. The superabrasive element of claim 14 , wherein an amount of the tungsten material in the interstitial spaces in the leached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table is similar to another amount of tungsten material in the interstitial spaces in the unleached volume of the polycrystalline diamond table.

17. The superabrasive element of claim 14 , wherein the metallic material from a portion of the polycrystalline diamond table has been leached to a first depth relative to a superabrasive face of the superabrasive element, and wherein the metallic material from an external side region of the polycrystalline diamond table has been leached to a second depth relative to the superabrasive face of the superabrasive element, the second depth being greater than the first depth.

Assignees

• Us Synthetic Corp

Inventors

• Scott Daniel Marin
• Heaton Daren Nathaniel
• Lynn Jeremy Brett
• Chapman Mark Pehrson
• Bond Oakley D

Classifications

• C25F3/02

  Etching · CPC title

• F16C17/02

  for radial load only · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• F16C33/26

  made from wire coils; made from a number of discs, rings, rods, or other members · CPC title

• F16C33/043

  Sliding surface consisting mainly of ceramics, cermets or hard carbon, e.g. diamond like carbon [DLC] · CPC title