Methods of forming polycrystalline elements from brown polycrystalline tables

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016348447-A1
Application number	US-201615235588-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2011
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods of forming a polycrystalline table may involve disposing a plurality of particles comprising a superabrasive material, a substrate comprising a hard material, and a catalyst material in a mold. The plurality of particles may be partially sintered in the presence of the catalyst material to form a brown polycrystalline table having a first permeability attached to an end of the substrate. The substrate may be removed from the brown polycrystalline table and catalyst material may be removed from the brown polycrystalline table. The brown polycrystalline table may then be fully sintered to form a polycrystalline table having a reduced, second permeability. Intermediate structures formed during a process of attaching a polycrystalline table to a substrate may include a substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table. The substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table may include a plurality of interbonded grains of a superabrasive material.

First claim

1 . An intermediate structure formed during a process of attaching a polycrystalline table to a substrate, comprising:
a substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table, the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table comprising a plurality of interbonded grains of a superabrasive material.

2 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table exhibits sufficient strength to retain a shape thereof independent of external structural support.

3 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate comprising a hard material and having an end to which the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table is attached.

4 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein a grain growth exhibited by the plurality of interbonded grains in the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table is 5 μm or less when compared to the size of the grains before interbonding.

5 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , further comprising a fully sintered polycrystalline table comprising a plurality of interbonded grains of a superabrasive material, the fully sintered polycrystalline table located adjacent to the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table.

6 . The intermediate structure of claim 5 , wherein the fully sintered polycrystalline table is attached to a substrate.

7 . The intermediate structure of claim 6 , wherein portions of the substrate are exposed at a surface of the fully sintered polycrystalline table, the portions of the substrate being located adjacent to the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table.

8 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table exhibits, for a thickness of about 2 mm, a leach rate of less than about two weeks to substantially completely remove catalyst material from an unleached brown polycrystalline table to form the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table.

9 . The intermediate structure of claim 1 , wherein the substantially fully leached brown polycrystalline table comprises greater than 10% by volume of interstitial spaces among the interbonded grains of the superabrasive material.

10 . A cutting element for an earth-boring tool, comprising:
a substrate comprising a particle-matrix composite material; and a table of superabrasive, polycrystalline material attached to an end of the substrate; wherein a first portion of the table includes a non-planar interface design at an interface between the table and the substrate, such that a plane at least substantially horizontal to a longitudinal axis of the cutting element intersects with the particle-matrix composite material of substrate and the superabrasive, polycrystalline material of the table within the first portion, and a second portion of the table is free of particles of the particle-matrix composite material of the substrate; and wherein a leach rate of the first portion of the table is less than a leach rate of the second portion of the table.

11 . The cutting element of claim 10 , wherein a volume percentage of the metal matrix material in the first portion of the table is greater than a volume percentage of the metal matrix material in the second portion.

12 . The cutting element of claim 11 , wherein the volume percentage of metal matrix material in the second portion is less than 10%.

14 . The cutting element of claim 12 , wherein the volume percentage of metal matrix material in the second portion is at least substantially 0%.

15 . The cutting element of claim 10 , wherein the non-planar interface design comprises one of a plurality of alternating protrusions and recesses of the particle-matrix composite material of the substrate and of the superabrasive, polycrystalline material of the table, alternating concentric rings of the particle-matrix composite material of the substrate and of the superabrasive, polycrystalline material of the table, and radially extending spokes of the particle-matrix composite material of the substrate extending into corresponding recesses formed by the superabrasive, polycrystalline material of the table.

16 . The cutting element of claim 10 , wherein the leach rate of the first portion is, for a thickness of about 2 mm, about five weeks to substantially completely remove catalyst material from the first portion.

17 . The cutting element of claim 10 , wherein catalyst material extends directly from the matrix of the particle-matrix composite material of the substrate into interstitial spaces among interbonded particles of the superabrasive, polycrystalline material via the non-planar interface design.

18 . The cutting element of claim 10 , wherein a cutting face of the table is at least substantially planar.

19 . The cutting element of claim 10 , wherein a cutting face of the table is non-planar.

20 . The cutting element of claim 19 , wherein the cutting face of the table exhibits one of a dome, hemisphere, chisel, and tombstone shape.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Digiovanni Anthony A
• Lyons Nicholas J
• Nelms Derek L
• Scott Danny E

Classifications

• C22C2204/00

  End product comprising different layers, coatings or parts of cermet · CPC title

• C22C26/00

  Alloys containing diamond {or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes} · CPC title

• C04B2237/363

  Carbon · CPC title

• C04B2237/361

  Boron nitride · CPC title

• C04B2237/36

  Non-oxidic · CPC title