Methods of fabricating thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond elements and compacts
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the invention relate to thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) elements, polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), and methods of fabricating such PCD elements and PDCs. In an embodiment, a method of fabricating a thermally-stable PCD element includes providing an at least partially leached PCD body including a plurality of interstitial regions, and infiltrating at least a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached PCD body with at least a portion of an infiltrant material. The infiltrant material may include at least one member chosen from the group of glass, silicone, and a ceramic having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion.
1. A method of fabricating a thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond element, comprising:
providing an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body including a plurality of interstitial regions therein; and
infiltrating at least a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body with at least a portion of an infiltrant material, wherein the infiltrant material includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of a ceramic having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, glass, and silicone.
2. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1 wherein the at least one member is glass, and further wherein the glass is selected from the group consisting of a silicate, a borate, a borosilicate, and combinations thereof.
3. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1 wherein the at least one member is silicone.
4. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1 wherein the at least one member is a ceramic having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, and further wherein the ceramic is selected from zirconium tungstate, beta spodumene, beta eucryptite, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein infiltrating at least a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body with at least a portion of an infiltrant material comprises subjecting the infiltrant material and the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body to a high-pressure/high-temperature process.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein infiltrating at least a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body with at least a portion of an infiltrant material comprises subjecting the infiltrant material and the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body to a hot isostatic pressing process.
7. A method of fabricating a thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond element, comprising:
assembling an infiltrant material adjacent to an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body including a plurality of interstitial regions therein, wherein the infiltrant material exhibits a negative coefficient of thermal expansion; and
infiltrating at least a portion of the infiltrant material into a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the infiltrant material comprises at least one ceramic exhibiting the negative coefficient of thermal expansion.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the infiltrant material comprises at least one ceramic selected from the group consisting of zirconium tungstate, beta spodumene, and beta eucryptite.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the infiltrant material comprises zirconium tungstate.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the infiltrant material comprises beta spodumene.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the infiltrant material comprises beta eucryptite.
13. The method of claim 7 wherein the negative coefficient of thermal expansion of the infiltrant material is negative over a temperature range from about −272° C. to about 775° C.
14. The method of claim 7 wherein the infiltrant material is non-catalytic relative to diamond.
15. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
wherein assembling an infiltrant material adjacent to an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body including a plurality of interstitial regions comprises positioning the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body between the infiltrant material and a substrate including a metallic infiltrant material therein; and
infiltrating a portion of the metallic infiltrant material into another portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body.
16. The method of claim 7 wherein infiltrating at least a portion of the infiltrant material into only a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body comprises subjecting the infiltrant material and the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body to a high-pressure/high-temperature process.
17. A method of fabricating a thermally-stable polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:
assembling an infiltrant material with an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body including a plurality of interstitial regions therein, wherein the infiltrant material exhibits a negative coefficient of thermal expansion; and
subjecting the infiltrant material and the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body to a high-pressure/high-temperature process effective to infiltrate a portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond table with at least a portion of the infiltrant material.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the negative coefficient of thermal expansion of the infiltrant material is negative over a temperature range from about −272° C. to about 775° C.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the infiltrant material comprises at least one ceramic exhibiting the negative coefficient of thermal expansion.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the infiltrant material comprises at least one ceramic selected from the group consisting of zirconium tungstate, beta spodumene, and beta eucryptite.
21. The method of claim 17 wherein the infiltrant material comprises zirconium tungstate.
22. The method of claim 17 wherein the infiltrant material comprises beta spodumene.
23. The method of claim 17 wherein the infiltrant material comprises beta eucryptite.
24. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
wherein assembling an infiltrant material with an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body including a plurality of interstitial regions comprises positioning the infiltrant material and the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body between a substrate including a metallic infiltrant material therein adjacent; and
infiltrating a portion of the metallic infiltrant material into another portion of the interstitial regions of the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body.
25. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body is bonded to a substrate prior to the act of infiltrating.