Methods and systems for X-ray inspection of PDC tooling and parts

1. A method of inspecting a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) element prior to leaching, the method comprising:

providing the PCD element in a protective leaching cup, the protective leaching cup configured to expose a selected portion of the PCD element to a leaching agent;

exposing the PCD element in the protective leaching cup to X-rays emitted from an X-ray source;

detecting, with a detector, the X-rays that pass through the PCD element and the protective leaching cup; and

generating an X-ray image of the PCD element in the protective cup that illustrates one or more characteristics from the X-rays received by the detector; and

analyzing the X-ray image to determine the one or more characteristics of the protective leaching cup or the PCD element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics include a position of a seal region of the protective leaching cup against the PCD element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics include a gap between a bottom of the PCD element and a base portion of the protective leaching cup.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

placing the protective leaching cup in a tray that is configured to hold a plurality of protective leaching cups; and

capturing an X-ray image of the protective leaching cup in the tray.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PCD element includes a PCD table attached to a substrate.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the substrate includes a plurality of carbide grains cemented and a cementing constituent.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of carbide grains include at least one carbide material selected from a group consisting of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, niobium carbide, tantalum carbide, vanadium carbide, and chromium carbide, and wherein the cementing constituent includes at least one material selected from a group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, cobalt alloys, nickel alloys, and iron alloys.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective leaching cup protects at least one sidewall and a bottom portion of the PCD element.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protective leaching cup includes a polymer.

10. A method of leaching a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) element and inspecting the leached PCD element, the method comprising:

at least partially leaching the PCD element in a protective leaching cup according to a first leaching method;

capturing an X-ray image of the leached PCD element in the protective leaching cup;

analyzing the X-ray image to determine at least one characteristic of a first leached region of the PCD element; and

at least partially leaching the leached PCD element in the protective leaching cup according to a second leaching method; or removing the leached PCD element from the protective leaching cup after the act of analyzing the X-ray image,

wherein at least one of the first leaching method or the second leaching method includes exposing at least a portion of the PCD element to a processing solution;

wherein the processing solution includes at least one member selected from a group consisting of acetic acid, ammonium chloride, arsenic acid, ascorbic acid, carboxylic acid, citric acid, formic acid, hydrobromic acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydroiodic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, nitric acid, oxalic acid, phosphoric acid, propionic acid, pyruvic acid, succinic acid, and tartaric acid.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising analyzing the X-ray image to determine at least one characteristic of a second leached region of the PCD element.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first leaching method is different from the second method.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first leaching method is an electrochemical leaching method and the second method is a non-electrochemical leaching method.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first leaching method is a non-electrochemical leaching method and the second method is an electrochemical leaching method.

15. A method of leaching a PCD element and inspecting a leached PCD element, the method comprising:

capturing a first X-ray image of a PCD element in a protective leaching cup, wherein the PCD element includes a PCD table attached to a substrate, the substrate including:

a cementing constituent including at least one material selected from a group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, cobalt alloys, nickel alloys, and iron alloys; and

a plurality of carbide grains cemented with the cementing constituent, the plurality of carbide grains including at least one carbide material selected from a group consisting of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, niobium carbide, tantalum carbide, vanadium carbide, and chromium carbide; and

at least partially leaching the PCD element to form a leach profile therein;

capturing a second X-ray image of the PCD element in the leaching cup; and

if the leach profile of the PCD is satisfactory at least partially based on the second X-ray image, removing the PCD element from the protective leaching cup; or if the leach profile of the PCD element is not satisfactory at least partially based on the second X-ray image, re-leaching the PCD element or rejecting the protective leaching cup.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising rejecting the protective leaching cup or re-leaching the PCD element if the first X-ray image demonstrates that the leach profile is not satisfactory.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein re-leaching the PCD element includes re-positioning the PCD element in the protective leaching cup.