Superabrasive compact and rotary drill bit including a heat-absorbing material for increasing thermal stability of the superabrasive compact
View Patent ↗In an embodiment, a superabrasive compact is disclosed in which a heat-absorbing material having a phase-transition temperature lower than a peak operating temperature of a superabrasive table of the superabrasive compact is positioned in the superabrasive compact. In some embodiments, the heat-absorbing material positioned between the substrate and the superabrasive table. In another embodiment, a rotary drill bit is also disclosed including a bit body and at least one cutting element including a substrate and a superabrasive table bonded to the substrate. At least one heat-absorbing material is positioned within the bit body at least proximate to the at least one cutting element.
1. A superabrasive compact, comprising:
a superabrasive table; and
a substrate bonded directly to the superabrasive table, the substrate at least partially defining a cavity having a heat-absorbing material positioned therein, the cavity completely enclosed by at least one of the superabrasive table or the substrate, the heat-absorbing material having a phase-transition temperature greater than about 90° C. and lower than a temperature at which at least one of the superabrasive table or the substrate of the superabrasive compact fail.
2. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a heat pipe embedded therein that is thermally coupled to the superabrasive table.
3. The superabrasive compact of claim 2 wherein the heat pipe comprises wicking grooves formed in an interior cavity defined by the substrate.
4. The superabrasive compact of claim 2 wherein the heat pipe comprises a wicking material positioned within an interior cavity defined by the substrate.
5. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 wherein the phase-transition temperature is a liquid-to-gas transition temperature.
6. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 wherein the phase-transition temperature is a solid-to-liquid transition temperature.
7. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 wherein the phase-transition temperature is about 200° C. to about 800° C.
8. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 wherein the heat-absorbing material has a heat of fusion of greater than about 20 J/g to about 300 J/g.
9. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 wherein the heat-absorbing material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a salt, a hydroxide, a nitrate, a silicate, a metal, an alloy, and a semiconductor.
10. A rotary drill bit including a bit body configured to engage a subterranean formation, and a plurality of superabrasive cutting elements affixed to the bit body, at least one of the plurality of superabrasive cutting elements configured according to the superabrasive compact of claim 1 .
11. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 , wherein the heat-absorbing material partially fills the cavity.
12. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 , wherein the heat-absorbing material substantially completely fills the cavity.
13. The superabrasive compact of claim 1 , wherein the phase-transition temperature is about 50° C. to about 100° C. lower than the temperature at which at least one of the superabrasive table or the substrate of the superabrasive compact fail.
14. A superabrasive compact, comprising:
a substrate;
a superabrasive table bonded to the substrate; and
a heat-absorbing material completely enclosed between a portion of the substrate and a portion of the superabrasive table, the heat-absorbing material having a phase-transition temperature greater than about 90° C. and lower than a temperature at which at least one of the superabrasive table or the substrate of the superabrasive compact fail.
15. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 wherein the phase-transition temperature is a solid-to-liquid transition temperature.
16. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 wherein the phase-transition temperature is about 200° C. to about 800° C.
17. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 wherein the heat-absorbing material has a heat of fusion of greater than about 20 J/g to about 300 J/g.
18. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 wherein the heat-absorbing material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a salt, a hydroxide, a nitrate, a silicate, a metal, an alloy, and a semiconductor.
19. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 wherein the superabrasive table defines a cavity that at least partially receives the heat-absorbing material.
20. A rotary drill bit including a bit body configured to engage a subterranean formation, and a plurality of superabrasive cutting elements affixed to the bit body, at least one of the plurality of superabrasive cutting elements configured according to the superabrasive compact of claim 14 .
21. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 , wherein the phase-transition temperature is about 330° C. to about 450° C.
22. The superabrasive compact of claim 14 , wherein the phase-transition temperature is about 50° C. to about 100° C. lower than the temperature at which at least one of the superabrasive table or the substrate of the superabrasive compact fail.