Interface Modification of Polycrystalline Diamond Compact
AssigneeDiamond Innovations, Inc.
InventorAndrew Gledhill
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Abstract
A cutting element and a method of providing the cutting element are provided. The cutting element may include a substrate, a first polycrystalline diamond zone, and a second polycrystalline diamond zone. The first polycrystalline diamond zone may be substantially free of a catalyst material. The second polycrystalline diamond zone rich in the catalyst material may be bonded to the substrate along an interface. The second polycrystalline diamond zone may be bonded to the first polycrystalline diamond zone along an effective transition zone. The effective transition zone may have a plurality of irregular projections toward the first polycrystalline diamond zone and the second polycrystalline diamond zone.
Claims14
A method, comprising the steps of:
- subjecting a plurality of diamond crystals to a high pressure and high temperature condition in the presence of a catalyst material to form a polycrystalline diamond material;
- and
- exposing a portion of the polycrystalline diamond material to a leaching agent at an elevated temperature for a first period of time and then gradually cooling the leaching agent and the polycrystalline diamond material to room temperature over a second period of time, thereby forming:
- a first polycrystalline diamond zone substantially free of the catalyst material,
- a second polycrystalline element zone rich in the catalyst material, and
- an effective transition zone sandwiched between the first and the second zones and having:
- a plurality of inter-grain regions that are substantially free of the catalyst material,
- a plurality of inter-grain regions that are rich in the catalyst material, and
- a plurality of irregular projections extending toward the first zone and the second zone a distance that is at least 3 times an average diameter of the grains.
A method, comprising the steps of:
- subjecting a plurality of diamond crystals to a high pressure and high temperature condition in the presence of a catalyst material to form a polycrystalline diamond material;
- masking a portion of a top surface of the polycrystalline diamond material according to a pattern;
- and
- exposing at least the top surface of the polycrystalline diamond material to a leaching agent for a period of time, thereby forming:
- a first polycrystalline diamond zone substantially free of the catalyst material,
- a second polycrystalline element zone rich in the catalyst material, and
- an effective transition zone sandwiched between the first and the second zones and having a profile corresponding to the pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.