Superabrasive elements including coatings and methods for removing interstitial materials from superabrasive elements

1. A method of processing a polycrystalline diamond element, comprising:

forming a protective coating over a selected portion of a polycrystalline diamond element comprising a polycrystalline diamond table having a polycrystalline diamond face, the polycrystalline diamond element comprising a rear surface and a side surface extending between the polycrystalline diamond face and the rear surface;

bonding the protective coating to the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element;

surrounding at least a portion of the protective coating with a protective layer;

exposing a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element extending from an open end of the protective layer to a leaching solution such that the leaching solution contacts an exposed surface region of the polycrystalline diamond table and at least a portion of the protective layer;

removing the polycrystalline diamond element from the leaching solution;

wherein:

the protective coating is substantially impermeable to the leaching solution;

the protective coating covers at least a portion of the side surface of the polycrystalline diamond element and the rear surface of the polycrystalline diamond element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the protective coating over the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element comprises depositing a vaporized material over the selected portion by at least one of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the physical vapor deposition comprises at least one of evaporative physical vapor deposition, electron beam physical vapor deposition, sputter physical vapor deposition, cathodic arc physical vapor deposition, and pulsed laser physical vapor deposition.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the chemical vapor deposition comprises at least one of atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition, low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, high-vacuum chemical vapor deposition, aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition, direct liquid injection chemical vapor deposition, microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer chemical vapor deposition, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition, and hot wire chemical vapor deposition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the protective coating over the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element comprises depositing the vaporized material over the selected portion by at least one of electroless deposition, spraying, and flame-spraying.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the protective coating over the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element comprises rotating the polycrystalline diamond element relative to a vaporized material source.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the protective layer and at least a portion of the protective coating from the polycrystalline diamond element.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective coating has a thickness of between approximately 1 and 10 μm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer comprises a substantially inert layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer abuts at least a portion of the protective coating.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein surrounding at least the portion of the protective coating with the protective layer comprises placing, after forming the protective coating over the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element, the protective layer around at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element and at least the portion of the protective coating.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the polycrystalline diamond element further comprises a substrate bonded to the polycrystalline diamond table;

the selected portion comprises at least a portion of a surface of the polycrystalline diamond table and at least a portion of a surface of the substrate.

13. A method of processing a polycrystalline diamond element, comprising:

forming a ceramic coating over a selected portion of a polycrystalline diamond element comprising a polycrystalline diamond table having a polycrystalline diamond face, the polycrystalline diamond element comprising a rear surface and a side surface extending between the polycrystalline diamond face and the rear surface;

surrounding at least a portion of the ceramic coating with a protective layer;

exposing at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element to a leaching solution such that the leaching solution contacts an exposed surface region of the polycrystalline diamond table and at least a portion of the protective layer;

removing the polycrystalline diamond element from the leaching solution;

wherein the ceramic coating covers at least a portion of the side surface of the polycrystalline diamond element and substantially covers the rear surface of the polycrystalline diamond element.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ceramic coating comprises at least one of a nitride material and a carbide material.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ceramic coating comprises at least one of TiN, CrN, TiAlN, CrC, AlTiN, ZrN, and TiCN.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming a ceramic coating over the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element comprises depositing a vaporized material over the selected portion of the polycrystalline diamond element.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising removing the protective layer and at least a portion of the ceramic coating from the polycrystalline diamond element.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the protective layer comprises a substantially inert layer.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the protective layer abuts at least a portion of the ceramic coating.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the surrounding at least the portion of the ceramic coating with the protective layer comprises placing a polymer cup around at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element and at least the portion of the ceramic coating.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the protective coating covering the rear surface of the polycrystalline diamond element is disposed between the rear surface of the polycrystalline diamond element and a portion of the protective layer.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein surrounding at least the portion of the protective coating with the protective layer comprises enclosing at least the portion of the protective coating within a polymer cup.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective coating comprises a solid material.