Methods of fabricating polycrystalline diamond, and cutting elements and earth-boring tools comprising polycrystalline diamond

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9309582-B2
Application number	US-201213619561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2012
Priority date	Sep 16, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Methods of fabricating polycrystalline diamond include functionalizing surfaces of carbon-free nanoparticles with one or more functional groups, combining the functionalized nanoparticles with diamond nanoparticles and diamond grit to form a particle mixture, and subjecting the particle mixture to high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit. Cutting elements for use in an earth-boring tool includes a polycrystalline diamond material formed by such processes. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating polycrystalline diamond, comprising:
functionalizing surfaces of carbon-free nanoparticles comprising a ceramic material with one or more functional groups;
combining the functionalized nanoparticles with diamond nanoparticles and diamond grit to form a particle mixture; and
subjecting the particle mixture to high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein functionalizing the surfaces of the carbon-free nanoparticles with one or more functional groups comprises functionalizing the surfaces of the carbon-free nanoparticles with methyl functional groups.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein functionalizing the surfaces of the carbon-free nanoparticles with one or more functional groups comprises functionalizing the surfaces of the carbon-free nanoparticles with acetylene functional groups.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the carbon-free nanoparticles to comprise one or more of an oxide and a nitride.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the carbon-free nanoparticles to comprise alumina or magnesia.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining the functionalized nanoparticles with the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit to form the particle mixture comprises:
suspending the functionalized nanoparticles and the diamond nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension; and
drying the suspension.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein drying the suspension comprises one or more of spray drying, freeze drying, and flash drying the suspension.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising suspending the diamond grit in the liquid.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein drying the suspension comprises drying the suspension to form a powder product.

10. A method of fabricating polycrystalline diamond, comprising:
functionalizing surfaces of carbon-free nanoparticles with one or more functional groups;
combining the functionalized nanoparticles with diamond nanoparticles and diamond grit to form a particle mixture, the combining comprising:
suspending the functionalized nanoparticles and the diamond nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension;
drying the suspension to form a powder product; and
mixing the powder product with the diamond grit to form the particle mixture; and

subjecting the particle mixture to high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising milling the particle mixture prior to subjecting the particle mixture to the HPHT conditions.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising milling the powder product.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein subjecting the particle mixture to the HPHT conditions comprises subjecting the particle mixture to a temperature of at least about 1400° C. and a pressure of at least about 5.0 GPa.

14. A cutting element for use in an earth-boring tool, the cutting element comprising a polycrystalline diamond material formed by a method comprising:
functionalizing surfaces of carbon-free nanoparticles comprising a ceramic material with one or more functional groups;
combining the functionalized nanoparticles with diamond nanoparticles and diamond grit to form a particle mixture; and
subjecting the particle mixture to high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit.

15. The cutting element of claim 14 , wherein functionalizing the surfaces of the carbon-free nanoparticles with one or more functional groups comprises functionalizing the surfaces of the carbon-free nanoparticles with methyl or acetylene functional groups.

16. An earth-boring tool comprising a cutting element, the cutting element comprising a polycrystalline diamond material formed by a method comprising:
functionalizing surfaces of carbon-free nanoparticles comprising a ceramic material with one or more functional groups;
combining the functionalized nanoparticles with diamond nanoparticles and diamond grit to form a particle mixture; and
subjecting the particle mixture to high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit.

17. The earth-boring tool of claim 16 , wherein the earth-boring tool comprises an earth-boring rotary drill bit.

Assignees

• Digiovanni Anthony A
• Chakraborty Soma
• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Digiovanni Anthony A
• Chakraborty Soma

Classifications

• B22F1/102

  Metallic powder coated with organic material · CPC title

• C04B2235/5445

  submicron sized, i.e. from 0,1 to 1 micron · CPC title

• C04B2235/3206

  Magnesium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B35/645

  Pressure sintering · CPC title

• C04B2235/3217

  Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina · CPC title