Insert for an attack tool, method for making same and tools incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566688-B2
Application number	US-200913124855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2009
Priority date	Oct 21, 2008
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert for an attack tool, the insert comprising a super-hard cap having a volume and bonded to a substrate at an interface, the super-hard cap having an average Young's modulus of greater than 900 GPa and the substrate characterized in that it comprises a reinforcing bolster portion as a means for stiffening a region of the substrate proximate the interface, the reinforcing bolster portion having an aggregate volume that is greater than that of the super-hard cap and an average Young's modulus at least 60% that of the super-hard cap. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such an insert and a method for using such an insert.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An insert for an attack tool, comprising:
a substrate comprising:
a support portion; and
a substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion bonded to the support portion and comprising:
a binder metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, manganese, and nickel;
at least 7 weight percent diamond particles disposed within the binder metal and comprising first diamond particles having a first average size, and second diamond particles having a second average size smaller than the first average size; and
at least 85 weight percent refractory metal carbide particles disposed within the binder metal; and

a super-hard cap directly bonded to a surface of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion and having a smaller volume than the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion and an average Young's modulus greater than 900 GPa, an average Young's modulus of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion within a range of from 80 percent to 90 percent of the average Young's modulus of the super-hard cap.

2. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the first average size is greater than 50 microns.

3. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the super-hard cap has an apex exhibiting a radius of curvature between 1.4 mm and 4 mm.

4. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the super-hard cap exhibits an apex, a thickness of the super-hard cap from a bottom of the super-hard cap to the apex between 1.4 mm and 2.4 mm.

5. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the average Young's modulus of the super-hard cap is greater than 960 GPa.

6. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the average Young's modulus of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion is between 650 GPa and 900 GPa.

7. A method of manufacturing the insert of claim 1 , the method comprising:
forming a pre-form assembly by assembling and contacting a pre-form for the substantially homogeneous bolster portion with a pre-form for the support portion and a pre-form for a polycrystalline diamond cap, the pre-form for the reinforcing bolster portion comprising diamond cores surrounded by graphite; and
subjecting the pre-form assembly to ultra-high pressure and temperature conditions at which diamond is thermodynamically stable.

8. A method of using the insert of claim 1 , comprising contacting a hard material selected from the group consisting of rock, concrete, and asphalt with the super-hard cap to degrade the hard material.

9. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the volume of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion is at least two times the volume of the super-hard cap.

10. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion is nonplanar.

11. The insert of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the surface of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion remains exposed.

12. The insert of claim 1 , wherein the first average size is least ten times the second average size.

13. The insert of claim 12 , wherein the first diamond particles are surrounded by the second diamond particles.

14. The insert of claim 1 , wherein sidewalls of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion are substantially coplanar with sidewalls of the support portion and the super-hard cap.

15. The insert of claim 14 , wherein the sidewalls of the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion remain substantially exposed.

16. The insert of claim 1 , wherein an average grain size of the refractory metal particles is within a range of from 1 micron to 3 microns.

17. The insert of claim 16 , wherein an average grain size of the diamond particles is within a range of from 200 microns to 250 microns.

18. An insert for an earth-boring tool, comprising:
a substrate comprising a substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion bonded to a support portion and comprising:
a cobalt binder;
at least 7 weight percent diamond particles disposed within the cobalt binder and comprising first diamond particles having a first average size and second diamond particles having a second average size smaller than the first average size; and
at least 85 weight percent tungsten carbide particles disposed within the cobalt binder; and

a super-hard material bonded to the substantially homogeneous reinforcing bolster portion of the substrate at an interface and having an average Young's modulus greater than 900 GPa, the substrate exhibiting a volume between about two times and about ten times a volume of the super-hard material and an average Young's modulus within a range of from 80 percent to 90 percent of the average Young's modulus of the super-hard material.

Assignees

• Jonker Cornelis Roelof
• Nilen Roger William Nigel
• Digiovanni Anthony Albert
• Baker Hughes Inc
• Element Six Ltd

Inventors

• Jonker Cornelis Roelof
• Nilen Roger William Nigel
• Digiovanni Anthony Albert

Classifications

• B22F7/062

  involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts · CPC title

• E21B10/46

  characterised by wear resisting parts, e.g. diamond inserts · CPC title

• C22C2204/00

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

• B24D18/0009

  using moulds or presses · CPC title

• C22C26/00

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