Methods for bonding preformed cutting tables to cutting element substrates and cutting elements formed by such processes

Methods for bonding pre-formed cutting tables to cutting agent substrates

And the worker of the pieces formed by these operations

Methods for Bonding Preformed Cutting Tablesto

Cutting Element SubstratesandCutting Element

Formed by such Processes

Full description

Background of the invention

The present invention relates generally to cutting elements or cutters for use with earth boring drill bits and more specifically to cutting agents including thermally stabilized and preformed super abrasive cutting tables bonded to substrates with diamonds. The present invention also relates to methods for manufacturing these cutting agents, in addition to ground cavity drill bits that include cutting elements.

Conventional polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutting agents include the cutting table and substrate. Traditionally, the substrate includes a metal material, such as tungsten carbide, to enable strong coupling of the mutually bonded diamond cutting agents to the bit body. The cutting table typically includes randomly oriented, cross-linked diamond particles or sometimes cubic boron nitride (CBN) that are also bonded to the substrate on which the cutting table is formed, under conditions of very high temperature and high pressure. Cobalt binders, also known as catalysts, have been widely used to initiate the binding of super abrasive particles to each other and to substrates. Although cobalt has been widely used in polycrystalline diamond PDC cutting agents, Compressed cutting elements for polycrystalline diamond with cutting tables that include cobalt binders are thermally unstable at high operating temperatures, and the cutting agents are subjected to the large coefficient of thermal expansion of cobalt relative to super abrasive particles and also due to the presence of Cobalt goes to the beginning of the back-graphitization of diamond processing in the cutting table when the temperature reaches above about 750 degrees Celsius. As a result, the presence of cobalt causes premature friction and destruction of the cutting table.

A number of different methods have been taken to improve the thermal stability of polycrystalline diamond and cubic boron nitride cutting tables. It includes one type of thermally stable cutting table that has been developed for sintered polycrystalline diamond with a carbonate binder such as magnesium, calcium, strontium or bismuth. However, the use of a carbonate binder increases the pressure and/or temperature required to actually bind the diamond particles to each other. Thus, compact polycrystalline diamond cutting agents that include carbonate binders lack complete carbide or substrate reinforcement and are typically much smaller in diameter than compact polycrystalline diamond cutting elements made with cobalt.

Another type of thermally stable cutting table is a compressed polycrystalline diamond PDC from which the cobalt bond has been removed, such as by acid leaching or electrolytic removal. These cutting agents have a tendency to be somewhat brittle, however, due to their lack of complete carbide backing or substrate and partly due to the removal of essentially all cobalt binder, which may result in a cutting table with relatively low diamond density. Therefore, the particle size of the cutting table from which cobalt is removed may be effectively limited.

To date, the other type of thermally stable cutting table is similar to the one described in the previous paragraph, but the pores resulting from the removal of cobalt are filled with silicon and/or silicon carbide. Examples of this type of cutting agent are described in US Patent Nos. 4,151,686 and 4,793,828. These cutting tables are more robust than those with only cobalt filtration, but the silicon avoids easy bonding of the cutting table to the supporting substrate.

General description of the invention

The present invention includes representations of methods for adhering thermally fixed diamond cutting tables to cutting element substrates. As used herein, the term “thermally stable” includes polycrystalline diamond cutting tables in which abrasive particles (such as diamond crystals, etc.) are secured to each other by carbonate binders, as well as cutting tables that are primarily composed of Of diamonds, such as cutting tables from which cobalt is removed, With or without silicon or silicon carbide backfill material, which is formed by chemical vapor deposition processes.

Some examples of these methods include preparing the surface of the substrate to which the cutting table is attached before securing the cutting table to that surface. In specific representations, surface preparation of a substrate may include removing one or more contaminants or substances from the surface that may impair or otherwise interfere with optimal bonding of the cutting table to the surface. In other specific representations, the substrate surface may be prepared to accommodate the cutting table by increasing the porosity or surface area.

In these methods, previously formed cutting tables, referred to as chips, are secured, under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, to substrates (such as tungsten carbide, etc.) with an intermediate layer of diamond grit. In some representations, powder, particles or thin element (e.g. foil, etc.) including cobalt may be used or another suitable binder may be used with diamond grit. In other embodiments, cobalt or other suitable binder present (such as part of the binder, etc.) in the substrate may be caused to be removed from the cutting table as heat and pressure are applied to the cutting table. In other embodiments, a pre-defined diamond wafer formed by a chemical vapor deposition process may be placed on the surface of cutting tables of conventional compressed polycrystalline diamond previously formed on the substrate. Then the chemical vapor deposition wafer is connected to a compressed polycrystalline diamond cutting table under high temperature and high pressure conditions.

The present invention also includes various representations of cutting agents. This cutting agent according to the present invention includes a substrate, a thermally fixed cutting table and an adhesive layer between them. The adhesion layer includes diamond particles bonded to the diamond to the fixed cutting table and to the substrate. In addition to diamond, the adhesion layer may include cobalt. The substrate may include a cemented carbide such as tungsten carbide with a suitable binder such as cobalt. In another embodiment, the previously formed cutting table including chemical vapor deposition diamond is bonded to a compressed polycrystalline diamond layer including cobalt under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions bearing a cemented carbide substrate.

Other features and aspects in addition to the benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art through consideration of the description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.

Brief explanation of the drawings

Figures No. 1 and 1a show a representation of the process of manufacturing PDC cutting elements from the previously formed cutting tables, with a specific representation of the previously formed cutting table to be shown.

Figure 1B depicts another specific representation of the previously configured cutting table that may be used to manufacture a PDC cutting element in accordance with various representations of the instructions of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a carbon phase diagram

Figure 3 depicts the PDC cutting element, which includes the substrate, the previously formed cutting table, and the diamond adhesion layer between the substrate and the previously formed cutting table.

Figures 4 and 4a depict another representation of the process of manufacturing cutting elements, which includes pre-formed chips consisting of diamond.

Figure 5 shows a representation of the cutting agent, which includes the substrate, the PDC cutting table, the chip consisting of diamonds on top of the PDC cutting table, and

Figure 6 shows a representation of ground cavity rotary drill bits including at least one compact polycrystalline diamond cutting operator incorporating the instructions of the present invention.

Detailed description

Patterns of invention procedure

With reference to Figure No. 1, a representation of the process of securing the previously formed cutting table 20 to the substrate 30 is shown. In this process, at least one cutting tool assembly comprising the bracket 30 and the corresponding previously formed cutting table 20 is assembled.

In the method of Figures 1 and 1a, at least one substrate 30 is inserted into the case assembly or synthesis cell assembly 50, and is composed of heat-resistant metal or other material that will withstand and maintain its fundamental integrity (such as shape and dimensions). When subjected to high temperature and high pressure HTHP processing. Each substrate 30 may include a cemented carbide substrate (such as tungsten carbide) for a PDC cutting element or any other material that is known to be useful as a substrate for a PDC cutting element. In some embodiments, the substrate 30 may include a binder such as cobalt.

Particles 40 diamond grindings are placed on the substrate 30. More specifically, the particles 40 are placed on the surface 32 of the previously formed cutting table 20 in order to secure it. Particles 40 may be placed on the surface 32 only or with fine powder or particles 42 of a suitable and known binder such as cobalt, other group 8 particles such as nickel, iron, or alloys, including these materials such as nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), cobalt (Co) or manganese (Mn). Cobalt Co, titanium Ti, cobaltCo / nickel Ni / vanadium V, cobalt Co / nickel Ni, ironFe / cobalt Co, ironFe / manganese Mn, iron Fe / nickel Ni, iron Fe (nickel Ni. Chromium (Cr), iron (Fe / silicon (Si2), nickel (Ni / manganese) (Mn), nickel (Ni) / chromium (Cr), etc.).

The surface 32 may be treated to improve subsequent adhesion to the previously formed cutting table 20 therein. This treatment of the surface 32 may include, in some embodiments, the removal of one or more contaminants or substances that may impair or otherwise interfere with the optimal attachment of the cutting table 20 to the surface 32. In specific embodiments, the metal carbonate binder, silicon, and/or silicon carbide may be removed from the surface 32 of the substrate 30, and these materials also inhibit diamond-to-diamond intergrowth that is required for adhesion of the previously formed cutting table. 20 on the surface 32 of the substrate 30. Removal of these materials may affect mainly the surface 32. In these representations, one or more of these materials may be removed to a depth from the surface 32 to the substrate 32, which is approximately the same dimension as the diamond particle of the previously formed cutting table 20 or a depth of about 1 10 microns. In other embodiments, the removal of unwanted materials may extend beyond the surface 32, and into the substrate 32. This preparation may include, in more specific representations, filtering one or more materials from the surface of the substrate.

In other embodiments, the surface area 32 of the substrate 30 may increase. Chemical, electrical, and/or mechanical processes may be used in some representations to increase the surface area 32 by removing material from the surface 32. Specific representations of surface area increase techniques 32 include, but are not limited to, laser cutting a surface 32, blasting a surface 32 with an abrasive, and chemically etching a surface 32.

Removal of these materials in some representations may enable the cobalt or other binder to penetrate the substrate 30 to facilitate the attachment of the previously formed cutting table 20 to the surface 32.

The base surface 22 of the previously formed cutting table 20 is placed through the particles 40 on the surface 32 of the substrate 30. The basal surface 22 of the previously formed cutting table is a topography complementary to the surface topography 32 of the substrate 30. The previously formed cutting table 20 may be essentially free for the metal binder.

Without limiting the scope of the present invention, the cutting table previously composed 20 in this representation may include a polycrystalline diamond PDC with abrasive particles bonded together with carbonate (e.g. calcium carbonate, metallic carbonate (e.g. magnesium carbonate, carbonate Barium carbonate, strontium carbonate, etc.) and binder, etc.). Despite the very high pressure and very high temperature required to manufacture PDCs, which include calcium carbonate bonds, this type of PDC is manufactured without a substrate (i.e. it is self-reliant), and may be formed with the dimensions of the cutting table. Standard measurements (such as diameter and thickness) in a suitable high-temperature, high-pressure device, as is known as the method.

In the other embodiment, illustrated by Fig. 1B, the previously configured cutting table 20 may include a polycrystalline diamond PDC having a face portion 27 and a base portion 23. The face portion 27 of the previously formed cutting table 20 is adjacent to it and includes the cutting surface 26, which may be filled with silicon and/or silicon carbide. The base portion 23 of the previously formed cutting table 20 is next to it and includes the base surface 22, which is mainly composed of diamond. This representation of the cutting element previously formed may be made by removing (such as by leaching, electrolytic processes, etc.) cobalt or other binder material (such as other Group 8 metals such as nickel or iron, or alloys including these materials such as Ni). Cobalt Co, cobaltCo / manganese Mn, cobalt Co, titanium Ti, cobaltCo / nickel Ni / vanadiumV, cobaltCo / nickel Ni, iron Fe / cobalt Co, iron Fe / manganese Mn, iron Fe / nickel Ni, Iron (Fe (nickel, Ni, chromium, Cr), iron, Fe / silicon, Si2, nickel, Ni / manganese, Mn, and nickel, Ni / chromium, Cr) from the face portion 27 without leaching binder material from the base portion 23. This may be accomplished, for example, by preventing exposure of the base portion 23 to the filtration conditions and limiting the duration of the filtration conditions. Then silicon or silicon carbide enters the pores that result from the leaching process, as in the processes described in US Patents Nos. 4,151,686 and 4,793,828. Subsequently, the binder may be oozed from the basal portion 23, and these holes may leave or the binder may remain. The porous base surface 22 is placed next to surface 32 of substrate 30 (Figures 1 and 1a).

Referring back to Figures 1 and 1A if required, one or more other cutting tool sets including the previously configured cutting table 20, the amount of diamond grit particles 40, (and optionally the binder powder or particles 42), and a substrate. substrate 30 which may manufacture the majority of cutting agents with a single high temperature and high pressure process. In representations, where multiple cutting element assemblies 12 are included in an individual synthesis cell assembly 50, the arrangement of the components of each cutting element assembly 12 may reflect the arrangement of the components of each adjacent cutting element assembly 12. Cutting tool assemblies 12 that are located at the ends 52 and 54 of the industrial cell assembly 50 may be arranged with supports 30 at the ends 52 and 54, or as extremes, in order to minimize the impact at and potential for destruction of the expensive cutting tables 20.

Each cutter set 12 is assembled within the synthesis cell assembly 50, and the contents of the synthesis cell assembly 50 may be exposed to known high-temperature and high-pressure processes. The temperature and pressure of these operations are sufficient to cause the particles 40 (and optionally any binder material powder or particles 42) to bond to each of the previously formed cutting table 20 within the synthesis cell assembly 50 to the corresponding substrate 30. In some representations the combination of temperature and pressure used in the HTHP process is within the so-called "diamond stable" phase of carbon. A carbon phase diagram that shows the various phases of carbon, including the diamond stationary phase and the temperatures and pressures at which these phases occur, is provided as Figure 2.

A representation of the cutting element PDC 10 resulting from this treatment is shown in Figure 3. The PDC cutting element 10 includes the substrate 30, the binder layer 45 and the previously formed cutting table 20. The bond layer 45 secures the previously formed cutting table 20 to the substrate 30, and may be bonded to the previously formed cutting table 20 and embedded in the substrate material 30 at the surface 32 (see Figures 1 and 1a). In some embodiments, the bond layer 45 consists of diamond (such as compressed polycrystalline diamond). In other representations, the binder layer 45 consists primarily of diamonds. Other representations of the binder layer 45 include diamond and laser lesser amounts of the appropriate binder material.

In another representation of the method of the present invention, shown in Figures 4 and 4a, at least one cutting agent 110 comprising the substrate 30 with the previously secured polycrystalline diamond table 120 is thus included in the synthesis cell assembly 50.

The base surface 142 of the pre-formed wafer 140 that is composed primarily or entirely composed of diamond deposited by known chemical vapor deposition processes is placed over the surface 122 of the compressed polycrystalline diamond table 120. The basal surface 142 of the pre-formed wafer 140 has a complementary topography with the surface topography 122 of the PDC table 120.

As described by reference to the representation known as Figures 1 and 1a, one or more other cutter sets 112 including the preconfigured wafer 140 and cutting element 110 may enter into the industrial cell assembly 50 where a plurality of cutting agents 110 may be made with Individual high temperature and high pressure process. Each cutting tool assembly 112 is assembled within a synthesis cell assembly 50, and the contents of the synthesis cell assembly 50 may be subjected to high-temperature and high-pressure operations as described by reference in Figures 1 and 1A.

The representation of the cutting element 10 resulting from this treatment is shown in Figure 5. The cutting element 10 includes the substrate 30, the PDC table 120 and the pre-set wafer 140 which is primarily composed of or composed of diamond. The base surface 142 of the pre-formed wafer 140 may be secured to a surface 122 of the PDC table 120 by diamond-to-diamond bonding that occurs during a high-temperature, high-pressure process, in which the diamonds from the pre-formed wafer 140 are bonded to the diamond-to-diamond bonding and to the diamond crystals of the diamond table. Compact polycrystalline 120. Although the resulting composition may include cobalt or other binder material that may, if present on the face of the predetermined foil 140, compromise thermal stability, and be located beneath the predetermined foil 140 while using cutting factor 10, be at a specified location that is not subject to degrees Heat is a known problem for cutting tables that include cobalt binders.

Referring to Figure 6, a representation of the rotary type and ground boring bits 60 of the present invention is shown. Among other features known to the art, the tip 60 includes at least one cutting tool cavity 62. The cutting agent 10, 10 according to the representation of the present invention is received within the cavity of the cutting tool 62 with the substrate 30 (see Figure 1) bonded or otherwise secured to the bit material bit 60. As used herein, the term ground bore bits includes, but is not limited to, conventional rotary mounted cutting tool or drag bits mounted with center bits of a fixed cutting tool, off-center bits, dual-center bits, boring bit choppers, under boring bits, and cylindrical cone bits. The hybrid bits include both fixed or movable cutting assemblies as well as other ground boring tools installed with the cutting assemblies in accordance with representations of the invention.

Although the foregoing description contains numerous limitations, these should not be construed as a limitation of the scope of the present invention, but only as providing illustrations of certain representations. Similarly, other representations of an invention that do not extend beyond the scope of the present invention may be recommended. May use features of different representations in combination. Therefore, the scope of the invention is indicated and limited only to the appended protective elements and their legal equivalents, instead of the previous description. All additions and modifications to the invention as declared herein that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims are to be recognized herein.