Polycrystalline diamond power transmission surfaces

1. A system including mechanical power transmission, the system comprising:

a first component, the first component comprising a first power transmission surface;

a second component, the second component comprising a second power transmission surface, wherein one of the first and second components comprises a polycrystalline diamond element;

wherein one of the first and second power transmission surfaces is a diamond engagement surface of the polycrystalline diamond element, the diamond engagement surface having a surface finish of at most 20 μin Ra, and wherein the other of the first and second power transmission surfaces is a metal surface comprising a metal, the metal containing at least 2 weight percent of diamond solvent-catalyst based on a total weight of the metal, wherein the first component is coupled with the second component such that the diamond engagement surface is engaged with the metal surface;

a drive component coupled with the first component; and

a driven component coupled with the second component;

wherein the drive component drives the first component, the first component drives the second component, and the second component drives the driven component.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive component comprises a motor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the drive component comprises an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive component comprises an engine.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the drive component comprises an internal combustion engine.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive component comprises a turbine.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the drive component comprises a gas turbine, a wind turbine, a water turbine, or a steam turbine.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the drive component comprises a drilling motor turbine.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the driven component comprises a pump, a generator, a driveline, a machine tool spindle or chuck, a winch, a drill bit, a power take off unit, a propeller shaft, or an axle shaft.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a gearbox, and wherein the first and second components are components of the gearbox.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a drivetrain, and wherein the first and second components are components of the drivetrain.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a drilling motor, and wherein the first and second components are components of the drilling motor.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the drilling motor comprises a motor, a drive shaft, and a drill bit, wherein the first and second components are components of the drive shaft, wherein the drive component comprises the motor, and wherein the driven component comprises the drill bit.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second components are portions of a turbine, a pump, a compressor, a combustion engine, a hard drive, a centrifuge, a brake, a clutch, or a motor.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second components are portions of mining equipment, construction equipment, an automotive part, agricultural equipment, an aircraft part, marine equipment, a rail car, medical equipment, or an amusement ride.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first component is a first gear, wherein the second component is a second gear, and wherein the first and second gears are meshed.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second gears are helical gears, spur gears, a worm gear and a worm, skew gears, double helical gears, bevel gears, spiral bevel gears, hypoid gears, crown gears, non-circular gears, rack and pinion gears, epicyclic gears, sun and planet gears, harmonic gears, cage gears, or cycloidal gears.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second gears comprises an internal gear.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first component is a first cogwheel, wherein the second component is a second cogwheel, and wherein the first and second cogwheels are meshed.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a mechanical coupling, and wherein the first and second components are components of the mechanical coupling.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the mechanical coupling is a flexible mechanical coupling.

22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the mechanical coupling comprises a jaw coupling, a claw coupling, or a knuckle joint.

23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the mechanical coupling comprises a universal joint.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the universal joint is a double Cardan universal joint.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises from 55 to 100 wt. % of the diamond solvent-catalyst based on the total weight of the metal.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diamond solvent-catalyst is selected from the group consisting of: iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, chromium, manganese, copper, titanium, tantalum, and combinations thereof.

27. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal is softer than a superhard material.

28. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second power transmission surfaces comprises a plurality of discrete polycrystalline diamond elements, each polycrystalline diamond element having a diamond engagement surface with a surface finish of at most 20 μin Ra.

29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diamond engagement surface is in sliding contact, rolling contact, or combinations thereof with the metal surface.

30. The system of claim 1 , wherein the polycrystalline diamond element is a polycrystalline diamond compact.

31. The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal is a metal alloy.

32. A system including mechanical power transmission, the system comprising:

a first component, the first component comprising a first power transmission surface;

a second component, the second component comprising a second power transmission surface, wherein one of the first and second components comprises a polycrystalline diamond element;

wherein one of the first and second power transmission surfaces is a diamond engagement surface of the polycrystalline diamond element, the diamond engagement surface having a surface finish of at most 20 μin Ra, and wherein the other of the first and second power transmission surfaces is a metal surface comprising a metal, the metal containing at least 2 weight percent of iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, chromium, manganese, copper, titanium, or tantalum based on a total weight of the metal, wherein the first component is coupled with the second component such that the diamond engagement surface is engaged with the metal surface;

a drive component coupled with the first component; and

a driven component coupled with the second component;

wherein the drive component drives the first component, the first component drives the second component, and the second component drives the driven component.

33. A method of driving a component with a mechanical power transmission, the method comprising:

coupling a first component with a second component, wherein the first component comprises a first power transmission surface and the second component comprises a second power transmission surface, wherein one of the first and second components comprises a polycrystalline diamond element;

wherein one of the first and second power transmission surfaces is a diamond engagement surface of the polycrystalline diamond element, the diamond engagement surface having a surface finish of at most 20 μin Ra, and wherein the other of the first and second power transmission surfaces is a metal surface comprising a metal, the metal containing at least 2 weight percent of diamond solvent-catalyst based on a total weight of the metal, wherein the first component is coupled with the second component such that the diamond engagement surface is engaged with the metal surface;

coupling a drive component with the first component;

coupling a driven component with the second component;

driving the first component with the drive component;

driving the second component with the first component; and

driving the driven component with the second component.