Leached polycrystalline diamond elements
A method of processing a polycrystalline diamond material includes exposing at least a portion of a polycrystalline diamond material to a processing solution, the polycrystalline diamond material including a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces defined within the polycrystalline diamond material. The method includes exposing an electrode to the processing solution, applying a positive charge to the polycrystalline diamond material, and applying a negative charge to the electrode. An assembly for processing a polycrystalline diamond body includes a polycrystalline diamond body and an electrode that are in electrical communication with a volume of processing solution, and a power source configured to apply a positive charge to the polycrystalline diamond body and a negative charge to the electrode.
1. A method of making a polycrystalline diamond element, the method comprising:
exposing an electrode and at least a portion of a polycrystalline diamond material to a processing solution, wherein the polycrystalline diamond material includes a plurality of diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions, at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions including a metallic material and at least one tungsten-containing material disposed therein;
while the electrode and the at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material are exposed to the processing solution, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the polycrystalline diamond material to cause an electrochemical leaching process;
selecting at least one of the processing solution or a characteristic of the electrochemical leaching process to provide a preferential leaching of at least a portion of the metallic material from the polycrystalline diamond material over the at least one tungsten-containing material; and
removing relatively more of a content of the metallic material from the plurality of interstitial regions of the polycrystalline diamond material than a content of the at least one tungsten-containing material during the preferential leaching of the electrochemical leaching process to form a leached volume, wherein the metallic material is present in the leached volume in a first concentration of greater than 0 to about 1.5 weight % and the at least one tungsten-containing material is present in the leached volume in a second concentration of greater than 0 to about 4 weight %.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
prior to exposing the electrode and the at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material to the processing solution, exposing the at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material to an additional processing solution that at least partially non-electrochemically leaches at least a portion of the metallic material from the polycrystalline diamond material; and
wherein applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the polycrystalline diamond material to cause preferential leaching of at least a portion of the metallic material from the polycrystalline diamond material over the at least one tungsten-containing material includes applying the electrical potential between the electrode and the polycrystalline diamond material to cause preferential leaching after exposing the at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material to the additional processing solution.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing solution includes at least one 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, or tartaric acid.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing solution includes at least one of an ion or a salt, and an ester of at least one 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, or tartaric acid.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic material includes at least one Group VIII metal.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one Group VIII metal includes at least one of cobalt, iron, or nickel.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tungsten-containing material includes one or more of tungsten, tungsten carbide, or cobalt tungsten carbide.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tungsten-containing material includes one or more of chromium, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, or a carbide of any of the foregoing.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tungsten-containing material includes a cementing constituent having one or more of cobalt, iron, nickel, alloys of any of the foregoing, or combinations of any of the foregoing.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first concentration of the metallic material is about 0 weight % to about 1.2 weight %.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first concentration of the metallic material is about 0 weight % to about 1 weight %.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first concentration of the metallic material is about 0.8 weight % to about 1 weight %.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second concentration of the at least one tungsten-containing material is about 0.5 weight % to about 3 weight %.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second concentration of the at least one tungsten-containing material is about 0.5 weight % to about 1.5 weight %.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second concentration of the at least one tungsten-containing material is about 0.5 weight % to about 1 weight %.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein, after exposing the electrode and at least the portion of the polycrystalline diamond material to the processing solution, the polycrystalline diamond material includes an additional leached volume, the leached volume disposed between the additional leached volume and an unleached volume, wherein the additional leached volume has less of the at least one tungsten-containing material than the leached volume.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the additional leached volume is substantially free of the at least one tungsten-containing material.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the concentration of the at least one tungsten-containing material is about the same in the leached volume and the unleached volume.
19. A method of making a polycrystalline diamond element, the method comprising:
exposing an electrode and at least a cutting face portion of a polycrystalline diamond material to a processing solution, wherein the at least the cutting face portion of the polycrystalline diamond material includes a plurality of diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions, at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions including a metallic material and at least one tungsten-containing material;
while the electrode and the at least the cutting face portion of the polycrystalline diamond material are exposed to the processing solution in an electrochemical leaching process, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the polycrystalline diamond material; and
removing relatively more of the metallic material from the plurality of interstitial regions of the at least the cutting face portion of the polycrystalline diamond material than the at least one tungsten-containing material during the electrochemical leaching process to form a leached volume.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising preferentially removing the metallic material while substantially not causing removal of the at least one tungsten-containing material.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the metallic material is present in the leached volume in the first concentration of greater than 0 to about 1.5 weight %.
22. A method of making a polycrystalline diamond element, the method comprising:
exposing an electrode and at least a cutting face portion of a polycrystalline diamond material to a processing solution, wherein the at least the cutting face portion of the polycrystalline diamond material includes a plurality of diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions, at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions including a metallic material and at least one tungsten-containing material disposed therein;
while the electrode and the at least the cutting face portion of the polycrystalline diamond material are exposed to the processing solution, applying an electrical potential between the electrode and the polycrystalline diamond material;
removing relatively more of the metallic material from the plurality of interstitial regions of the polycrystalline diamond material than the at least one tungsten-containing material to form a leached volume; and
preferentially removing the metallic material while substantially not causing removal of the at least one tungsten-containing material.
23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the metallic material is present in the leached volume in a first concentration of greater than 0 to about 1.5 weight % and the at least one tungsten-containing material is present in the leached volume in a second concentration of greater than 0 to about 4 weight %.