Gradient Anvil Design for Ultra-High Pressure Deformation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultra-high pressure anvils used in diamond and cubic boron nitride production experience plastic deformation and reduced service life due to high loads, leading to inefficient pressure application and increased risk of cracking, as they have limited hardness and toughness variations within uniform cemented tungsten carbide layers.
Innovation Solution
An anvil with a concentration gradient of a metal matrix phase, where the concentration of the metal matrix phase varies from the working surface to a gradient depth, providing higher hardness at the surface and increased toughness within, using materials like tungsten carbide and cobalt, to reduce plastic deformation and enhance crack resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the hardness of the working surface of the anvil is increased, then the uniformity of the pressure applied by the anvil increases, but the toughness and resistance to cracking decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a concentration gradient of the metal matrix phase that varies with depth from the working surface. The working surface has a lower concentration of metal matrix phase for higher hardness and uniform pressure application, while deeper regions have higher concentrations for improved toughness and crack resistance. This spatial variation in material composition allows different regions to optimize for their specific functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by systematically varying the concentration of the metal matrix phase as a function of depth. The concentration gradient transitions from lower concentrations at the working surface to higher concentrations at greater depths, enabling continuous optimization of hardness and toughness properties across different regions of the anvil to resolve the contradiction between pressure uniformity and crack resistance.
2Ease of manufacture
If uniform cemented tungsten carbide layers are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but plastic deformation occurs under high loads leading to reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses this contradiction by introducing localized variations in the metal matrix phase concentration profile. Rather than using uniform layers, the working surface region has optimized lower concentrations for hardness, while deeper regions have higher concentrations for toughness. This local quality variation reduces plastic deformation under high loads and extends service life while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled gradient formation processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by creating a cemented carbide structure with non-uniform metal matrix phase distribution. The composite consists of hard phase particles dispersed in a metal matrix, with the metal matrix concentration varying with depth. This composite structure with gradient composition provides both the hardness needed for pressure application and the toughness needed to resist plastic deformation, thereby extending service life.
3Reliability
If the concentration of metal matrix phase is increased throughout the anvil, then toughness and crack resistance improve, but hardness at the working surface decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through local quality by spatially differentiating the metal matrix phase concentration. The working surface maintains lower concentrations to preserve hardness and pressure uniformity, while deeper regions incorporate higher concentrations to enhance toughness and crack resistance. This localized optimization ensures that each region has the appropriate properties for its specific functional role.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by implementing a concentration gradient of the metal matrix phase that varies continuously or discontinuously with depth. The parameter (concentration) is optimized at different locations: lower at the surface for hardness, higher at depth for toughness. This systematic parameter variation allows simultaneous optimization of both hardness and toughness without compromise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The concentration gradient anvil design reduces plastic deformation, maintains shape integrity, and extends service life by optimizing hardness and toughness distribution, allowing for consistent and efficient ultra-high pressure application while minimizing cracking risks.
Implementation Method 1
an anvil has a concentration gradient of a metal matrix phase in a hard phase. For example, the anvil may include a hard phase and a metal matrix phase in which the hard phase is dispersed, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient
Data Source
AI summary
An anvil including a hard phase and a metal matrix in which the hard phase is dispersed, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient, is disclosed. The anvil may be used in a high pressure press. Methods of making an anvil including forming a hard phase dispersed in a metal matrix phase, a concentration of the metal matrix phase varying according to a concentration gradient, are also disclosed.