Use of diamondene fragments in making polycrystalline diamond cutters and polycrystalline diamond cutters containing diamondene fragments

1. A method of making a polycrystalline diamond cutter, the method comprising:

forming an assembly comprising along an axis of the assembly a refractory container, a diamond feed layer, and a substrate; and

processing the assembly under high pressure high temperature sintering conditions (HPHT) from 4 GPa to 8 GPa, and from 1200° C. to 1700° C., to sinter the diamond feed into a diamond body affixed to the substrate;

wherein the diamond feed layer comprises diamond particles and diamondene fragments.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wt. % of diamondene fragments in the diamond feed layer is between 0.001 wt. % and 10 wt. %.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wt. % of diamondene fragments in the diamond feed layer is between 0.01 wt. % and 5 wt. %.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wt. % of diamondene fragments in the diamond feed layer is between 0.1 wt. % and 1 wt. %.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diamond feed layer comprises a catalyst material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a catalyst material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diamond body comprises a plurality of bonded diamond particles and a plurality of interstitial regions.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a portion of the interstitial regions include a catalyst material or catalyst material sintering residue.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising leaching a portion of the sintered diamond body to form interstitial regions substantially free of catalyst material or catalyst material sintering residue.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the sintered diamond body comprising interstitial regions substantially free of catalyst material or sintering residue thereof extends from a working surface into an interior volume of the diamond body.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising finish machining the diamond body.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein finish machining includes one or more of laser cutting, electrical discharge machining, grinding, and polishing.

13. A polycrystalline diamond cutter comprising a diamond body and a substrate, wherein the diamond body has one or more working surfaces, and wherein the diamond body comprises a plurality of bonded diamond particles, a plurality of bonded diamondene fragments, and a plurality of interstitial regions.

14. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of claim 13 , wherein the volume fraction of discernable diamondene fragments in the diamond body is up to 5 vol. %.

15. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of claim 13 , wherein the volume fraction of discernable diamondene fragments in the diamond body is about 5 vol. %.

16. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of claim 13 , wherein the volume fraction of discernable diamondene fragments in the diamond body is between 0.0005 vol. % and 5 vol. %.

17. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the interstitial regions include a catalyst material or catalyst material sintering residue.

18. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the interstitial regions are substantially free of catalyst material or catalyst material sintering residue.

19. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of claim 18 , wherein the portion of the diamond body comprising interstitial regions substantially free of catalyst material or catalyst material sintering residue, extends from a working surface into an interior volume of the diamond body.

20. The polycrystalline diamond cutter of any one of claims 13 to 19 , wherein a portion of a working surface is beveled or chamfered.