Layered polycrystalline diamond
View Patent ↗In one aspect of the present invention, a high impact wear resistant tool has a superhard material bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate at a non-planar interface. The superhard material has a thickness of at least 0.100 inch and forms an included angle of 35 to 55 degrees. The superhard material has a plurality of substantially distinct diamond layers. Each layer of the plurality of layers has a different catalyzing material concentration. A diamond layer adjacent the substrate of the superhard material has a higher catalyzing material concentration than a diamond layer at a distal end of the superhard material.
1. A tip for use in a high impact, wear resistant tool, the tip comprising:
a substrate having a base end and a non-planar interface spaced apart from said base end; and
a superhard material bonded to said non-planar interface and having a distal end with an apex spaced apart from said non-planar interface, said superhard material having a thickness of at least 0.100 inches, and said superhard material having a plurality of diamond layers including:
a first diamond layer adjacent to said non-planer interface, said first diamond layer having a first catalyzing material concentration;
a second diamond layer disposed at said distal end of said superhard material, said second diamond layer having a second catalyzing material concentration, said first catalyzing material concentration being greater than said second catalyzing concentration; and
a third diamond layer disposed between said first diamond layer and said second diamond layer, said third diamond layer having a third catalyzing material concentration less than said first catalyzing material concentration and greater than said second catalyzing material concentration;
wherein at least one of said first diamond layer, said second diamond layer, and said third diamond layer has an inverted cone geometry, where the inverted cone geometry is inverted with respect to the apex of the superhard material and having a center of curvature distal to said at least one layer.
2. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said first diamond layer has a first thickness and said second diamond layer has a second thickness, wherein said first thickness differs from said second thickness.
3. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said first diamond layer has a first thickness and said second diamond layer has a second thickness, said first thickness and said second thickness being equal uniform.
4. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said first diamond layer has a first thickness and said second diamond layer has a second thickness, wherein said first thickness is between 0.010 inches and 0.100 inches and said second thickness is between 0.010 inches and 0.100 inches.
5. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said superhard material has a first volume and said substrate has a second volume and wherein said first volume is 75 percent to 150 percent of said second volume.
6. The tip of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of diamond layers has a thickness and said substrate has a substrate thickness, wherein said thickness of at least one diamond layer of the plurality of diamond layers is at least as thick as said substrate thickness.
7. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said first diamond layer has a catalyzing material concentration between 5 and 10 percent by volume.
8. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said second diamond layer has a catalyzing material concentration between 2 and 5 percent by volume.
9. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said second diamond layer is leached to remove at least a part of said catalyzing material.
10. The tip of claim 9 , wherein said second diamond layer has a catalyzing material concentration of 0 to 1 percent.
11. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said superhard material has a substantially pointed geometry with an apex having a 0.050 to 0.125 inch radius.
12. The tip of claim 11 , wherein said substantially pointed geometry has a surface extending from said substrate to said apex, wherein said surface is convex.
13. The tip of claim 11 , wherein said substantially pointed geometry has a surface extending from said substrate to said apex, wherein said surface is concave.
14. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said tip is incorporated in drill bits, percussion drill bits, roller cone bits, shear bits, milling machines, indenters, mining picks, asphalt picks, cone crushers, vertical impact mills, hammer mills, jaw crushers, asphalt bits, chisels, and trenching machines.
15. The tip of claim 1 , further comprising a carbide segment, wherein said substrate is bonded to said carbide segment.
16. The tip of claim 15 , further comprising a steel body, wherein said carbide segment is brazed or press fit to said steel body.
17. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said superhard material is a polycrystalline structure with an average grain size of 1 to 100 microns.
18. The tip of claim 1 , wherein said catalyzing material is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and alloys thereof.
19. The tip of claim 1 , wherein the non-planar interface has an inverted cone geometry.
20. The tip of claim 1 comprising a plurality of diamond layers with at least one interface possessing an inverted cone geometry with a non-zero value of curvature along its length.
21. A tip for use in a high impact, wear resistant tool, the tip comprising:
a substrate having a base end and a non-planar interface spaced apart from said base end; and
a superhard material bonded to said non-planar interface and having a distal end spaced apart from said non-planar interface, said superhard material having a thickness of at least 0.100 inches, and said superhard material having a plurality of diamond layers including:
a first diamond layer adjacent to said non-planer interface and having a first concave face spaced apart from said non-planar interface, said first diamond layer having a first catalyzing material concentration;
a second diamond layer adjacent said first concave face, said second diamond layer having a second catalyzing material concentration and a second concave face spaced apart from said first concave face, said second catalyzing material concentration being less than said first catalyzing material concentration;
a third diamond layer adjacent said second concave face, said third diamond layer having a third catalyzing material concentration and a third concave face spaced apart from said second concave face, said third diamond layer having a third catalyzing material concentration less than said second catalyzing material concentration; and
a fourth diamond layer adjacent said third concave face, said fourth diamond layer having a fourth catalyzing material concentration and an apex spaced apart from said third concave face, said fourth diamond layer having a fourth catalyzing material concentration less than said third catalyzing material concentration
wherein said concave faces possess an inverted cone geometry with a non-zero value of curvature along their length.
22. The tip of claim 21 wherein the first concave face has a first radius of curvature, the second concave face has a second radius of curvature, and the third concave face has a third radius of curvature, wherein the second radius of curvature is less than the first radius of curvature and the second radius of curvature is greater than the third radius of curvature.