Methods of fabricating ceramic or intermetallic parts

A method, comprising:

• extending a drill string into a wellbore from a drilling platform, the drill string having a drill bit attached to an end thereof;
• and
• circulating a drilling fluid to the drill bit and through the wellbore with a pump fluidly connected to the drill string,
• wherein the drill bit is manufactured by:
• positioning one or more ceramic or intermetallic workpieces into a mold assembly that defines at least a portion of an infiltration chamber, each ceramic or intermetallic workpiece being fabricated by:
• printing a three-dimensional porous metallic workpiece via an additive manufacturing process;
• and
• subjecting the porous metallic workpiece to a diffusion-based process and thereby converting at least a portion of the porous metallic workpiece to a ceramic workpiece or an intermetallic workpiece, wherein the porous metallic workpiece comprises a metal or a metal alloy that forms a carbide, upon being subjected to a reaction atmosphere of the diffusion-based process;
• depositing reinforcing materials into the infiltration chamber;
• and
• infiltrating the one or more ceramic or intermetallic workpieces and the reinforcing materials with a binder material and thereby producing a composite, wherein a bit body of the drill bit includes a hard composite portion and the one or more ceramic or intermetallic workpieces are localized proximal to a nozzle opening or an apex of the drill bit.