Cutting element and a method of manufacturing a cutting element
AssigneeSmith International, Inc.
InventorsLoel G. Corbett, J. Daniel Belnap
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cutting element includes a substrate and a cutting layer disposed on a surface of the substrate. The cutting layer includes an ultra hard material. The substrate includes tungsten carbide and a metal binder. The substrate has a magnetic saturation value in the range of from 80 to less than 85%. In another aspect, the magnetic saturation value may increase within the substrate along a gradient, wherein proximal to the interface with the cutting layer, the substrate has a magnetic saturation value in the range of from 80 to less than 85%. Drill bits incorporating such cutting elements and methods of manufacturing such cutting elements are described.
Claims16
A method of manufacturing cutting elements comprising:
- selecting a first batch of sintered substrates containing tungsten carbide and a metal binder, the substrates of the first batch of sintered substrates having magnetic saturation values that vary by at most 5%;
- selecting a second batch of sintered substrates containing tungsten carbide and a metal binder, the substrates of the second batch of sintered substrates having magnetic saturation values which vary by at most 5%, the magnetic saturation values of both the first batch of sintered substrates and the second batch of sintered substrates varying by at most 5%;
- and
- forming a cutting layer comprising an ultra hard material on the surfaces of the first and second batches of sintered substrates by high pressure high temperature sintering,
- wherein the magnetic saturation value for the first batch of sintered substrates is in the range of from 80% to less than 85%.
A method of manufacturing a cutting element comprising:
- selecting a sintered substrate comprising tungsten carbide and a metal binder which substrate has a magnetic saturation value in the range of from 80% to less than 85% prior to high pressure high temperature (HPHT) sintering;
- and
- forming, by high pressure high temperature sintering, a cutting layer over a surface of the sintered substrate which cutting layer comprises an ultra hard material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.