Method and apparatus for fabrication of cobalt alloy composite inserts
AssigneesThe Penn State Research Foundation, Dennis Tool Company
InventorMahlon Denton Dennis
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Abstract
This disclosure features a process of making a two part drill bit insert, namely, a body portion of hard particles such as tungsten carbide particles mixed in an alloy binding the particles. The alloy preferably comprises 6% cobalt with amounts up to about 10% permitted. The body is sintered into a solid member, and also joined to a PDC crown covering the end. The crown is essentially free of cobalt. The process sinters the crown and body while preserving the body and crown cobalt differences.
Claims29
A method for making a wear resistant element comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing particulate material comprising
- (i) abrasion resistant particles, and
- (ii) an alloy binding material;
- and
- (b) sintering said material to a PDC layer using microwave radiation as a heat source thereby forming said wear resistant element.
A method for sintering a drill bit insert having two parts with different cobalt concentrations therein and comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing microwave radiation;
- (b) exposing said insert to microwave radiation;
- (c) elevating the temperature of said structure to a sintering temperature as a result of absorption of said microwave radiation by said structure;
- and
- (d) ending the sintering prior to cobalt migration between the two parts.
A method of forming a shaped wear part comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a compacted metal body of particles pressed to a desired shape wherein the body is formed of steel particles;
- (b) forming a wear resistant area on the metal body comprised of
- (i) abrasion resistant particles;
- (ii) an alloy of binding particulate material;
- (c) microwave sintering said formed materials to form a unitary body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.