Methods of leaching elements including superabrasive or superhard materials
AssigneeUS Synthetic Corporation
InventorsDaren Nathaniel Heaton, Jeremy Brett Lynn, Mark Pehrson Chapman, Oakley D. Bond
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Abstract
A method of leaching an element may include exposing an electrode and at least a portion of an element body comprising at least one of a superabrasive or a superhard material to a processing solution; while the electrode and the at least a portion of the element body are exposed to the processing solution in an electrochemical leaching process, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the element body; and preferentially removing the metallic material from a portion of the element body in the electrochemical leaching process.
Claims20
A method of leaching an element, the method comprising:
- exposing an electrode and at least a portion of an element body comprising at least one of a superabrasive or a superhard material to a processing solution, wherein the element body includes grains defining interstitial regions, at least a portion of the interstitial regions including a metallic material and at least one tungsten-containing material;
- while the electrode and the at least a portion of the element body are exposed to the processing solution in an electrochemical leaching process, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the element body;
- and
- removing relatively more of the metallic material from the interstitial regions of the element body than the at least one tungsten-containing material during the electrochemical leaching process to form a leached volume.
A method of leaching an element, the method comprising:
- exposing an electrode and at least a portion of an element body comprising a polycrystalline diamond material to a processing solution, wherein the polycrystalline diamond material includes diamond grains defining interstitial regions, at least a portion of the interstitial regions including a metallic material and at least one tungsten-containing material;
- while the electrode and the at least a portion of the element body are exposed to the processing solution in an electrochemical leaching process, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the element body;
- and
- preferentially removing the metallic material over the at least one tungsten-containing material to define a leached volume of the element body during the electrochemical leaching process.
A method of leaching an element, the method comprising:
- exposing an electrode and at least a portion of an element body having a cutting face and a side surface to a processing solution, the element body comprising at least one of a superabrasive or a superhard material, wherein the element body defines interstitial regions including a metallic material;
- while the electrode and the at least a portion of the element body are exposed to the processing solution in an electrochemical leaching process, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the element body;
- and
- preferentially removing the metallic material from the interstitial regions of the element body proximate an outer periphery of the cutting face and the side surface during the electrochemical leaching process to form a leached volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.