Polycrystalline diamond cutter with high thermal conductivity
View Patent ↗A front face of a diamond table mounted to a substrate is processed to introduce a material which comingles with or semi-alloys with or partially displaces interstitial catalyst binder in a thermal channel to a desired depth. The material is selected to be less thermally expandable than the catalyst binder and/or more thermally conductive than the catalyst binder and/or having a lower heat capacity than the catalyst binder.
1. A polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter, comprising:
a substrate; and
a diamond table mounted to the substrate, the diamond table comprising diamond crystals and interstitial catalyst binder, the diamond table further having a front face with a thermal channel formed to additionally include a material, the material being less thermally expandable than the catalyst binder and/or more thermally conductive than the catalyst binder and/or having a lower heat capacity than the catalyst binder, the material being commingled with or semi-alloyed with the catalyst binder in the thermal channel to a desired depth.
2. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is cubic boron nitride or a component of cubic boron nitride.
3. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is an elemental material selected from a group consisting of: carbon, germanium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, copper, silver, and gold.
4. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is one of:
a combination of two or more of the elemental materials selected from a group consisting of: carbon, germanium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, copper, silver, and gold; or
an alloy including one or more of the elemental materials selected from the group consisting of: carbon, germanium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, copper, silver, and gold.
5. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material includes an alkali earth carbonate.
6. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material includes a sulfate.
7. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material includes a hydroxide.
8. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is tungsten oxide.
9. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is boron carbide.
10. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is TiC 0.6 .
11. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is one of an iron oxide or double oxide.
12. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is an intermetallic material.
13. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the material is a ceramic material.
14. The PDC cutter of claim 1 wherein the desired depth is between 0.020 mm to 0.6 mm.
15. A method, comprising:
introducing a material to a front face of a diamond table mounted to a substrate, the diamond table comprising diamond crystals and interstitial catalyst binder, the introduction of the material to the front face forming a thermal channel which additionally includes the material, the material being less thermally expandable than the catalyst binder and/or more thermally conductive than the catalyst binder and/or having a lower heat capacity than the catalyst binder, the introduced material being commingled with or semi-alloyed with the catalyst binder in the thermal channel to a desired depth.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is cubic boron nitride or component thereof.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is an elemental material selected from a group consisting of: carbon, germanium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, copper, silver, and gold.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is one of:
a combination of two or more of the elemental materials selected from a group consisting of: carbon, germanium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, copper, silver, and gold; or
an alloy including one or more of the elemental materials selected from the group consisting of: carbon, germanium, zinc, aluminum, silicon, molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, copper, silver, and gold.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein the material includes an alkali earth carbonate.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein the material includes a sulfate.
21. The method of claim 15 wherein the material includes a hydroxide.
22. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is tungsten oxide.
23. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is boron carbide.
24. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is TiC 0.6 .
25. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is one of an iron oxide or double oxide.
26. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is an intermetallic material.
27. The method of claim 15 wherein the material is as ceramic material.
28. The method of claim 15 wherein introducing comprises infusing the material into the diamond table thermal channel.
29. The method of claim 15 wherein introducing comprises implanting the material into the diamond table thermal channel.
30. The method of claim 15 wherein introducing comprises sintering the material into the diamond table thermal channel.
31. The method of claim 15 wherein introducing comprises hot isostatic pressing the material into the diamond table thermal channel.
32. The method of claim 15 wherein introducing comprises performing cryogenic methods or cold pressing or both to introduce the material into the diamond table thermal channel.
33. A polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter, comprising:
a substrate; and
a diamond table mounted to the substrate, the diamond table comprising diamond crystals and interstitial catalyst binder, the diamond table further having a front face with a thermal channel formed to additionally include a material, the material being less thermally expandable than the catalyst binder and/or more thermally conductive than the catalyst binder and/or having a lower heat capacity than the catalyst binder, the material partially displacing the catalyst binder in the thermal channel to a desired depth, the displaced catalyst binder remaining in either the diamond table or the substrate.
34. A method, comprising:
introducing a material to a front face of a diamond table mounted to a substrate, the diamond table comprising diamond crystals and interstitial catalyst binder, the introduction of the material to the front face forming a thermal channel which additionally includes the material, the material being less thermally expandable than the catalyst binder and/or more thermally conductive than the catalyst binder and/or having a lower heat capacity than the catalyst binder, the introduced material partially displacing the catalyst binder in the thermal channel to a desired depth, the displaced catalyst binder remaining in either the diamond table or the substrate.