Strike tip for a pick tool having a flat apex area

1. A strike tip for a pick tool, comprising

a strike structure joined to a substrate at an interface boundary, the strike structure comprising polycrystalline diamond (PCD) material and the substrate comprising carbide material, the strike tip having a proximate strike end coterminous with the PCD material, a distal end defined by the substrate, and a side connecting the strike and distal ends;

the distal end having a diameter of between 10 to 20 millimeters and the strike end including a flat apex area and an outer area extending from the apex area to the side, the outer area defining a partial conical surface arranged concentrically with the side, the partial conical surface having a cone angle of 80° to 110°, wherein the thickness of the strike structure between the apex area and the interface boundary opposite the apex area is 2.5 to 10 mm, the apex area being less than the outer area and having a minimum diametrical dimension of 1 millimeter and a maximum diametrical dimension of 3 millimeters, wherein the apex area is at least partly bounded by an edge formed between the apex area and the outer area.

2. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the outer area is 50 to 500 square millimeters.

3. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the flat apex area is 0.5 to 30 percent of the outer area.

4. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the apex area is centrally located, and a central longitudinal axis of the strike tip passes through it.

5. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the apex area is substantially circular.

6. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the apex area is parallel to the distal end of the strike tip.

7. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the apex area is disposed at an angle of at least 5 degrees with respect to the distal end of the strike tip.

8. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the strike end includes a plurality of cone surfaces, each concentric with the apex area and having a different respective cone angle.

9. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which at least a portion of the strike end including the apex area has a substantially frusto-conical shape.

10. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the PCD material comprises PCD grains embedded in a matrix comprising cemented carbide material or ceramic material.

11. A strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , in which the substrate comprises cemented tungsten carbide material including at least 5 weight percent and at most 10 weight percent binder material comprising cobalt.

12. An assembly for a pick tool for road pavement milling or mining, comprising a strike tip as claimed in claim 1 .

13. A method of using a pick tool comprising a strike tip as claimed in claim 1 , the method including striking a body with the pick tool such that the strike end is driven against the body; in which the body comprises structures dispersed in a matrix, the structures being substantially harder than the matrix and are spaced apart from each other by a mean inter-structure spacing of 0.5 to 5 millimeters.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , in which the structures are 1 to 5 millimeters in diametrical size.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 , in which the body comprises asphalt, the matrix comprises tar or potash or the structures comprise stone.