Infiltration compositions for PCD by using coated carbide substrates

1. A polycrystalline diamond compact made from a high pressure, high temperature process, the compact comprising:

a metal carbide substrate including a binder;

at least one inner layer of polycrystalline diamond disposed on said substrate at an interface, said polycrystalline diamond layer having a diamond phase and a metal phase forming an interconnected mutually exclusive network,

wherein said metal phase is a material different than the binder of said substrate to provide improved diamond sintering and final polycrystalline diamond compact properties,

wherein the metal phase is distributed in the polycrystalline diamond layer in a composition gradient, the composition gradient extending from the interface toward an outer surface of the polycrystalline diamond layer, and

wherein the metal phase comprises zirconium.

2. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein the metal phase is distributed in the polycrystalline diamond layer in a composition gradient, the composition gradient extending from the interface toward an outer surface of the polycrystalline diamond layer.

3. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein the metal phase of said polycrystalline diamond layer is an alloy.

4. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein the metal phase of said polycrystalline diamond layer is a mixture of cobalt and at least one other element.

5. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 4 , wherein the element is selected from the group of silicon, boron, zirconium, aluminum, ruthenium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, platinum, palladium and mixtures of such.

6. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein the metal phase is provided by at least one coating disposed on said substrate prior to the high temperature, high pressure process that has melted and swept into the diamond phase.

7. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 6 , wherein the metal phase has a melting point lower than a melting point of the binder of said substrate.

8. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein the metal phase determines the composition of the polycrystalline diamond layer.

9. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is cobalt bonded cemented tungsten carbide.

10. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , further comprising a blocking layer disposed on said substrate for preventing sweeping of the binder from said substrate into the polycrystalline diamond layer.

11. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 10 , wherein said blocking layer is a coating of material selected from the group of titanium, carbides or nitrides thereof, or a combination thereof.

12. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 1 , wherein the metal phase includes a plurality of alloys, each of the plurality of alloys having a melting point lower than the binder of the substrate.

13. A polycrystalline diamond compact made from a high pressure, high temperature process, the compact comprising:

a metal carbide substrate including a binder;

at least one inner layer of polycrystalline diamond disposed on said substrate at an interface, said polycrystalline diamond layer having a diamond phase and a metal phase forming an interconnected mutually exclusive network,

wherein said metal phase is a material different than the binder of said substrate to provide improved diamond sintering and final polycrystalline diamond compact properties,

wherein the metal phase is distributed in the polycrystalline diamond layer in a composition gradient, the composition gradient extending from the interface toward an outer surface of the polycrystalline diamond layer, and

wherein the metal phase includes a plurality of alloys, each of the plurality of alloys having a melting point lower than the binder of the substrate.

14. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , wherein the metal phase is distributed in the polycrystalline diamond layer in a composition gradient, the composition gradient extending from the interface toward an outer surface of the polycrystalline diamond layer.

15. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , wherein the metal phase of said polycrystalline diamond layer is an alloy.

16. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , wherein the metal phase of said polycrystalline diamond layer is a mixture of cobalt and at least one other element.

17. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 16 , wherein the element is selected from the group of silicon, boron, zirconium, aluminum, ruthenium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, platinum, palladium and mixtures of such.

18. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , wherein the metal phase is provided by at least one coating disposed on said substrate prior to the high temperature, high pressure process that has melted and swept into the diamond phase.

19. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , wherein the metal phase determines the composition of the polycrystalline diamond layer.

20. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , wherein said substrate is cobalt bonded cemented tungsten carbide.

21. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 13 , further comprising a blocking layer disposed on said substrate for preventing sweeping of the binder from said substrate into the polycrystalline diamond layer.

22. The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim 21 , wherein said blocking layer is a coating of material selected from the group of titanium, carbides or nitrides thereof, or a combination thereof.