Earth-boring tools and components thereof including erosion-resistant extensions, and methods of forming such tools and components

1. An erosion-resistant extension for an earth-boring rotary drill bit, the erosion-resistant extension comprising:

a generally tubular body having a shape defining a fluid passageway extending through the generally tubular body, the generally tubular body comprising:

an outer surface;

an inner surface having a recess;

a first end configured for attachment to a bit body of an earth-boring rotary drill bit; and

an opposite, second end configured for attachment to a shank; and

a generally tubular sleeve at least partially disposed within the fluid passageway, the generally tubular sleeve comprising:

an erosion-resistant material lining the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway, the erosion-resistant material exhibiting an erosion resistance greater than an erosion resistance exhibited by a material of the generally tubular body; and

at least one protrusion extending circumferentially at least partially around a longitudinal axis of the generally tubular sleeve on an exterior surface of the generally tubular sleeve, the recess being configured to receive the at least one protrusion therein when the generally tubular sleeve is at last partially disposed within the fluid passageway, wherein the at least one protrusion has a planar surface transverse to the longitudinal axis of the generally tubular sleeve, the planar surface being flush with an end surface of the second end of the generally tubular body.

2. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 1 , wherein the erosion resistance exhibited by the erosion-resistant material is at least about 50% greater than the erosion resistance exhibited by the material of the generally tubular body.

3. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 1 , wherein the material of the generally tubular body comprises a steel alloy, and the erosion-resistant material comprises a particle-matrix composite material.

4. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 1 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises at least one of a particle-matrix composite material and a polymer material.

5. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 4 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises a particle-matrix composite material comprising a plurality of hard particles dispersed throughout a matrix material, the hard particles comprising at least one material selected from diamond, boron carbide, boron nitride, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, and carbides or borides of the group consisting of W, Ti, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Zr, Si, Ta, and Cr, the matrix material selected from the group consisting of iron-based alloys, nickel-based alloys, cobalt-based alloys, titanium-based alloys, aluminum-based alloys, iron and nickel-based alloys, iron and cobalt-based alloys, and nickel and cobalt-based alloys.

6. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 1 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises a plurality of layers.

7. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 1 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises a deposit of the erosion-resistant material.

8. The erosion-resistant extension of claim 1 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises a particle-matrix composite material comprising a plurality of hard particles dispersed throughout a titanium-based alloy matrix material.

9. An earth-boring rotary drill bit comprising:

a bit body having a face;

at least one cutting element on the face of the bit body;

an extension comprising:

a generally tubular body having a shape defining a fluid passageway extending through the generally tubular body between a first end of the generally tubular body and an opposite, second end of the generally tubular body, the first end of the generally tubular body coupled to the bit body, wherein the first end of the generally tubular body is threadedly engaged to a collar bonded to at least one surface in a cavity of the bit body; and

an erosion-resistant material lining at least a portion of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway, the erosion-resistant material exhibiting an erosion resistance greater than an erosion resistance exhibited by a material of the generally tubular body; and

a shank coupled to the opposite, second end of the generally tubular body of the extension, the shank configured for attachment to a drill string.

10. The earth-boring rotary drill bit of claim 9 , wherein the bit body predominantly comprises a particle-matrix composite material comprising a plurality of hard particles dispersed throughout a matrix material.

11. The earth-boring rotary drill bit of claim 10 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises another particle-matrix composite material, and the material of the generally tubular body comprises a metal alloy.

12. The earth-boring rotary drill bit of claim 9 , wherein the erosion-resistant material comprises one of a deposit of the erosion-resistant material and an insert comprising the erosion-resistant material.

13. A method of forming an earth-boring rotary drill bit, comprising:

selecting an erosion-resistant material to exhibit an erosion resistance greater than an erosion resistance exhibited by a material of a generally tubular body;

lining at least a portion of a wall of the generally tubular body within a fluid passageway extending through the generally tubular body with the selected erosion-resistant material;

coupling a first end of the generally tubular body to an earth-boring rotary drill bit, further comprising threadedly engaging the first end of the generally tubular body to a collar, the collar being configured to be secured to the rotary drill bit; and

coupling a shank to an opposite, second end of the generally tubular body.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein lining the at least a portion of the wall of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway comprises treating the at least a portion of the wall of the generally tubular body to form the selected erosion-resistant material.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein selecting the erosion-resistant material further comprises selecting the erosion-resistant material to exhibit an erosion resistance at least about 50% greater than the erosion resistance exhibited by the material of the generally tubular body.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein lining the at least a portion of the wall of the generally tubular body with the selected erosion-resistant material comprises:

forming a sleeve comprising the selected erosion-resistant material; and

disposing the sleeve at least partially within the fluid passageway extending through the generally tubular body.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

forming at least one protrusion extending from an outer surface of the sleeve, the at least one protrusion extending circumferentially at least partially around a longitudinal axis of the sleeve;

forming at least one recess in a surface of the generally tubular body; and

inserting the at least one protrusion of the sleeve at least partially into the at least one recess in the surface of the generally tubular body.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein lining the at least a portion of a wall of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway comprises depositing the erosion-resistant material on the wall of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein depositing the erosion-resistant material on the wall of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway comprises disposing a slurry including a portion of the erosion-resistant material and at least one solvent over at least a portion of the wall of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway and evaporating the solvent from the slurry.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising sintering the remaining erosion-resistant material.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein depositing the erosion-resistant material on the wall of the generally tubular body within the fluid passageway comprises applying a thermal spray including the erosion-resistant material to at least a portion of the wall of the generally tubular body.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein treating the at least a portion of the wall of the generally tubular body to form the selected erosion-resistant material comprises one of carburizing, boronizing and nitriding the at least a portion of the wall.