Incorporation of bulk metal foils to increase toughness of polycrystalline diamond

A method of making a cutting element comprising:

• placing a first diamond powder in a reaction container;
• placing a thin metal layer in the reaction container in a first direction from or around the first diamond powder;
• placing a second diamond powder in the reaction container in the first direction from or around the thin metal layer wherein the thin metal layer separates the first diamond powder from the second diamond powder;
• placing a pre-sintered substrate containing binder into the reaction container in the first direction from the first diamond powder and the second diamond powder and thin metal layer components;
• and
• putting the reaction container into a reactor and subjecting the reaction container to a high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) sintering process in which the second diamond powder forms a first polycrystalline diamond portion and the first diamond powder forms a second polycrystalline diamond portion,
• wherein the thin metal layer forms a pouch that separates the first diamond powder from the second diamond powder and surrounds the first diamond powder.

A method of making a cutting element comprising:

• placing a first diamond powder in a reaction container;
• placing a thin metal layer in the reaction container in a first direction from or around the first diamond powder;
• placing a second diamond powder in the reaction container in the first direction from or around the thin metal layer, wherein the thin metal layer separates the first diamond powder from the second diamond powder;
• placing a pre-sintered substrate containing binder into the reaction container in the first direction from the first diamond powder and the second diamond powder and thin metal layer components;
• and
• putting the reaction container into a reactor and subjecting the reaction container to a high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) sintering process in which the second diamond powder forms a first polycrystalline diamond portion and the first diamond powder forms a second polycrystalline diamond portion,
• wherein the thin metal layer comprises molybdenum, niobium, zirconium, or tantalum or combinations thereof.