High temperature high heating rate treatment of pdc cutters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016107293-A1
Application number	US-201514978269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 5, 2012
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

First claim

1 . A post manufacture method for improving structural integrity of a cutter, comprising:
obtaining a cutter having a polycrystalline diamond cutting table with catalyst material deposited within interstitial spaces thereof; removing a portion of the catalyst material from the cutting table; and after removal of the catalyst material, heating the cutter in an induction unit for a period of time less than thirty minutes.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining an inert gas atmosphere in the induction unit during heating.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutter is heated to a temperature greater than 750° C.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the temperature is greater than 850° C.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the catalyst material is removed by leaching.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the catalyst material is removed by an electrochemical process.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutter is part of a batch of cutters of a component category, and the method further comprises:
testing the structural integrity of a first sample of cutters from the batch before heating; and
testing the structural integrity of a second sample of cutters from the batch after heating.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the samples are tested using an acoustic emission toughness test.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutter further has a tungsten carbide substrate, and the catalyst material also binds the cutting table to the substrate.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst material is selected from a group consisting of: cobalt, nickel, and Group VIII metals.

Assignees

• Varel Int Ind Lp

Inventors

• Bellin Federico
• Chintamaneni Vamsee

Classifications

• C22C1/1094 Primary

  comprising an after-treatment · CPC title

• B24D3/06 Primary

  metallic {or mixture of metals with ceramic materials, e.g. hard metals, "cermets", cements} · CPC title

• B24D18/00

  Manufacture of grinding tools {or other grinding devices}, e.g. wheels, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• C25F1/00

  Electrolytic cleaning, degreasing, pickling or descaling · CPC title

• G01N29/14

  using acoustic emission techniques {(echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00)} · CPC title