Intermetallic Aluminide Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) Cutting Elements

Abstract

Machining and cutting tools including, but not limited to, rotary drill bits, mining tools, milling tools, wood shredders, reamers and wire dies formed with at least one substrate having a layer of polycrystalline diamond disposed thereon. The polycrystalline diamond layer may be generally described as a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) or PDC layer. The PDC may be formed by using an intermetallic aluminide catalyst. One example of such catalyst may include nickel aluminide used to form diamond to diamond bonds between adjacent diamond particles.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 883,938, entitled “Intermetallic Aluminide Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) Cutting Elements,” filed Jan. 8, 2007.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present disclosure is related to rotary drill bits and associated cutting elements and more particularly to fixed cutter drill bits and associated cutting elements and / or inserts with hard layers of cutting material disposed on at least one portion of the cutting elements and / or inserts.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0003]Polycrystalline Diamond compositions were originally developed by General Electric. An early reference to manufacture of these composites in an ultra high pressure press is U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,746 to De Lai. In this reference De Lai describes a family of metals that may be used to provide a catalyst for diamond to diamond bonding in the manufacture of a polycrystalline diamond composi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]PDC cutters incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may benefit from high heat transfer capabilities of intermetallic aluminide as compared to prior catalysts such as cobalt used to form PDC's. High heat transfer may mitigate possible effects of differences between respective coefficients of expansion of intermetallic aluminide and diamond. Heat transfer capabilities of an intermetallic aluminide may act synergistically with the diamond crystals of such PDC's to rapidly dissipate heat generated by friction at the cutting tip or cutting surface.

[0010]PDC cutters incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may benefit from an intermetallic aluminide's ability to retard diamond graphitization at higher than typical temperatures and in the presence of a ferrous work piece. Historically cubic boron nitride cutters have been used to machine ferrous materials due to the well known ineffectiveness of diamond in this application. Cubic boron nitride is generally not as hard and wear resistant as diamond but is superior to diamond in ferrous machining applications. The capabilities of PDC cutters manufactured using an intermetallic aluminide as a catalyst may overcome the historic inapplicability of a PDC to satisfactorily machine ferrous materials and may offer a superior alternative to cutters made from cubic boron nitride.

[0011]IBD composites using nickel aluminide may be capable of cutting ferrous material, such as gray cast iron, over long periods of time with very little wear of cutting surfaces formed with such IBD composites. It has always been a given in machining ferrous materials that diamond reacts chemically with ferrous material and breaks down or graphitizes quickly at a frictional interface between the diamond cutting element and the ferrous material. This has been the case with cutting surfaces formed with natural diamond, synthetic diamond, impregnated diamond and PDC. Apparently IBD composites made with nickel aluminide may not experience such break down of cutting surfaces or graphitization of associated diamond. Apparently thermal and / or chemical processes that break down diamond during ferrous cutting applications may be significantly retarded by using nickel aluminide as a binder material to form a PDC.

Problems solved by technology

Historically cubic boron nitride cutters have been used to machine ferrous materials due to the well known ineffectiveness of diamond in this application.

Apparently IBD composites made with nickel aluminide may not experience such break down of cutting surfaces or graphitization of associated diamond.

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