U.S. patent application number 12/522360 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-18 for intermetallic aluminide polycrystalline diamond compact (pdc) cutting elements.
Invention is credited to William W. King.
Application Number | 20100038148 12/522360 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39609338 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100038148 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
King; William W. |
February 18, 2010 |
Intermetallic Aluminide Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC)
Cutting Elements
Abstract
Machining and cutting tools including, but not limited to,
rotary drill bits, mining tools, milling tools, wood shredders,
reamers and wire dies formed with at least one substrate having a
layer of polycrystalline diamond disposed thereon. The
polycrystalline diamond layer may be generally described as a
polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) or PDC layer. The PDC may be
formed by using an intermetallic aluminide catalyst. One example of
such catalyst may include nickel aluminide used to form diamond to
diamond bonds between adjacent diamond particles.
Inventors: |
King; William W.; (Houston,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER BOTTS L.L.P.;PATENT DEPARTMENT
98 SAN JACINTO BLVD., SUITE 1500
AUSTIN
TX
78701-4039
US
|
Family ID: |
39609338 |
Appl. No.: |
12/522360 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2008 |
PCT Filed: |
January 7, 2008 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US08/50402 |
371 Date: |
July 7, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60883938 |
Jan 8, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
175/430 ;
175/425; 175/428; 51/296; 51/307 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C04B 35/515 20130101;
C04B 2235/963 20130101; E21B 10/567 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
175/430 ;
175/428; 175/425; 51/307; 51/296 |
International
Class: |
E21B 10/567 20060101
E21B010/567; E21B 10/46 20060101 E21B010/46; E21B 10/54 20060101
E21B010/54; B24D 3/00 20060101 B24D003/00 |
Claims
1. A cutting element comprising: a substrate having at least one
layer of a polycrystalline diamond compact disposed thereon; and
the polycrystalline diamond compact formed in part by using an
intermetallic aluminide as a catalyst to form diamond to diamond
bonds between adjacent diamond particles.
2. The cutting element of claim 1 wherein the intermetallic
aluminide further comprises nickel aluminide.
3. The cutting element of claim 1 further comprising the
intermetallic aluminide selected from the group consisting of iron
aluminide, cobalt aluminide, titanium aluminide, nickel-platinum
aluminide, nickel-titanium aluminide, niobium aluminide, ruthenium
aluminide, scandium aluminide, and zirconium aluminide.
4. The cutting element of claim 1 further comprising an insert for
a fixed cutter rotary drill bit.
5. The cutting element of claim 1 further comprising a portion of a
downhole tool selected from the group consisting of a rotary drill
bit, reamer, near bit reamer, hole opener and coring bit.
6. The cutting element of claim 1 further comprising at least one
portion of a tool selected from the group consisting of a mining
tool, a machining tool used to cut ferrous materials, a machining
tool used to cut non-ferrous materials, a machining tool used to
process wood and other fibrous materials and a saw blade used to
cut rocks such as limestone and granite, concrete, cermets and
other hard materials.
7. The cutting element of claim 1 further comprising: the substrate
having a first end; and the at least one layer of the
polycrystalline diamond compact disposed on the first end of the
substrate.
8. The cutting element of claim 7 further comprising a layer of
intermetallic aluminide disposed between the first end of the
substrate and the at least one layer of the polycrystalline diamond
compact.
9. The cutting element of claim 7 further comprising the
intermetallic aluminide used to form the layer of polycrystalline
diamond compact selected from the group consisting of iron
aluminide, cobalt aluminide, titanium aluminide, nickel-platinum
aluminide, nickel-titanium aluminide, niobium aluminide, ruthenium
aluminide, scandium aluminide, and zirconium aluminide.
10. The cutting element of claim 7 further comprising: a plurality
of void spaces formed between adjacent diamond particles bonded
with each other by diamond to diamond bonds; and the intermetallic
aluminide disposed within the void spaces formed between adjacent
diamond particles.
11. A rotary drill bit operable to form a wellbore in a downhole
formation comprising: a bit body having one end operable for
connection to a drill string; a plurality of cutting elements
disposed on exterior portions of the bit body; the cutting elements
defined in part by a respective substrate and a respective layer of
hard cutting material disposed on one end of the respective
substrate; and the layer of hard cutting material including a
polycrystalline diamond compact formed at least in part by using an
intermetallic aluminide catalyst.
12. The drill bit of claim 11 further comprising at least one of
the substrates having a generally circular cross section.
13. The drill bit of claim 11 further comprising at least one of
the substrates having a generally noncircular cross section.
14. The drill bit of claim 11 further comprising: a bit face
profile having an inverted cone shaped configuration opposite from
the one end of the bit body; an opening formed in the bit body
proximate the inverted cone shaped portion of the bit face profile;
a substrate having a layer of a polycrystalline diamond compact
formed in part by intermetallic aluminide catalyst; a post
extending from the substrate; and the post disposed in the opening
in the bit body with the layer of the polycrystalline compact
operable to engage formation materials adjacent to the inverted
cone shaped portion of the bit face profile.
15. The cutting element of claim 11 wherein the intermetallic
aluminide further comprises nickel aluminide.
16. The drill bit of claim 11 further comprising the intermetallic
aluminide selected from the group consisting of iron aluminide,
cobalt aluminide, titanium aluminide, nickel-platinum aluminide,
nickel-titanium aluminide, niobium aluminide, ruthenium aluminide,
scandium aluminide, and zirconium aluminide.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/883,938,
entitled "Intermetallic Aluminide Polycrystalline Diamond Compact
(PDC) Cutting Elements," filed Jan. 8, 2007.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure is related to rotary drill bits and
associated cutting elements and more particularly to fixed cutter
drill bits and associated cutting elements and/or inserts with hard
layers of cutting material disposed on at least one portion of the
cutting elements and/or inserts.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] Polycrystalline Diamond compositions were originally
developed by General Electric. An early reference to manufacture of
these composites in an ultra high pressure press is U.S. Pat. No.
3,141,746 to De Lai. In this reference De Lai describes a family of
metals that may be used to provide a catalyst for diamond to
diamond bonding in the manufacture of a polycrystalline diamond
composite (sometimes referred to as a "polycrystalline diamond
compact") (PDC). The metal catalysts included by De Lai are iron,
cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium,
platinum, titanium, chromium, manganese, and tantalum. General
Electric continued to test various metal catalyst combinations
throughout the 1960's and 1970's as is evident in the literature of
PDC development. Nickel, aluminum, and alloys thereof have been
used as binder catalysts for cubic boron nitride (CBN) compacts and
PDC.
[0004] In the mid 1980's new intermetallic materials, including
nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al) began to find commercial application.
Prior to the mid 1980's nickel aluminide was often considered as
having little commercial value due to inherent brittleness and less
than desired hardness. The addition of approximately 1% boron
during production of intermetallic nickel aluminide (INA) made it
stronger or harder and more ductile while at the same time
maintaining high heat transfer capability. A key patent in this
area is to Huang et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,791.
[0005] Recent developments of Intermetallic Bonded Diamond (IBD) by
Wittmer and Filip as described in US Patent Application Publication
2006/0280638 published on Dec. 14, 2006 and International
Publication Number WO 2006/107628 published by WIPO on Oct. 12,
2006 disclose the use of nickel aluminide as a binder material
during production of Intermetallic Bonded Diamond (IBD). Two
further publications "Final Technical Report Mar. 1, 2004 through
Dec. 31, 2004" and "Final Technical Report Jan. 1, 2005 through
Sep. 30, 2005" for the project titled "Intermetallic-Bonded Diamond
Tools for Coal Mining" further describe their work and
observations.
[0006] Wittmer and Filip use various methods to produce IBD
composites including: heating in a furnace with continuous flowing
argon, vacuum/pressure sintering, and hot isostatic pressing. Hot
isostatic pressing is well known in the art and is the process
often used to make impregnated diamond segments for rotary drill
bits and other downhole tools. Typically such segments may include
a copper/nickel binder to bind a mixture of tungsten carbide powder
and small diamond particles. It is important to note that IBD
composites developed by Wittmer and Filip do not involve diamond to
diamond bonding but rather form metallic binder with diamond
particles disposed therein.
[0007] Wittmer and Filip have identified several advantages to
their IBD composites. These composites appear to be more resistant
to thermal degradation than composites that use copper/nickel
alloys or other metals as a binder. In addition it appears that the
use of nickel aluminide may retard the tendency of diamond to
graphitize at higher temperatures where diamond graphitization
typically occurs with copper/nickel binders.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure may include ultra high
pressure manufacturing of polycrystalline diamond composite (PDC)
using an intermetallic aluminide as a catalyst and forming cutting
elements or inserts with PDC's resulting from this process. For
example, PDC's formed at least in part by using an intermetallic
aluminide as a catalyst may be attached to a substrate to produce
PDC cutters for rotary drill bits.
[0009] PDC cutters incorporating teachings of the present
disclosure may benefit from high heat transfer capabilities of
intermetallic aluminide as compared to prior catalysts such as
cobalt used to form PDC's. High heat transfer may mitigate possible
effects of differences between respective coefficients of expansion
of intermetallic aluminide and diamond. Heat transfer capabilities
of an intermetallic aluminide may act synergistically with the
diamond crystals of such PDC's to rapidly dissipate heat generated
by friction at the cutting tip or cutting surface.
[0010] PDC cutters incorporating teachings of the present
disclosure may benefit from an intermetallic aluminide's ability to
retard diamond graphitization at higher than typical temperatures
and in the presence of a ferrous work piece. Historically cubic
boron nitride cutters have been used to machine ferrous materials
due to the well known ineffectiveness of diamond in this
application. Cubic boron nitride is generally not as hard and wear
resistant as diamond but is superior to diamond in ferrous
machining applications. The capabilities of PDC cutters
manufactured using an intermetallic aluminide as a catalyst may
overcome the historic inapplicability of a PDC to satisfactorily
machine ferrous materials and may offer a superior alternative to
cutters made from cubic boron nitride.
[0011] IBD composites using nickel aluminide may be capable of
cutting ferrous material, such as gray cast iron, over long periods
of time with very little wear of cutting surfaces formed with such
IBD composites. It has always been a given in machining ferrous
materials that diamond reacts chemically with ferrous material and
breaks down or graphitizes quickly at a frictional interface
between the diamond cutting element and the ferrous material. This
has been the case with cutting surfaces formed with natural
diamond, synthetic diamond, impregnated diamond and PDC. Apparently
IBD composites made with nickel aluminide may not experience such
break down of cutting surfaces or graphitization of associated
diamond. Apparently thermal and/or chemical processes that break
down diamond during ferrous cutting applications may be
significantly retarded by using nickel aluminide as a binder
material to form a PDC.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A more complete and thorough understanding of the present
embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to
the following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate
like features, and wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing one example of an
aluminide PDC cutting element or cutter incorporating teachings of
the present disclosure;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing in section showing another
example of an aluminide PDC cutting element or cutter incorporating
teachings of the present disclosure; and
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing in section with portions
broken away showing a layer of hard cutting material formed from
diamond pellets using an intermetallic aluminide catalyst.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0016] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and various
advantages may be understood by referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of
the drawings. Like numerals may be used for like and corresponding
parts in the various drawings.
[0017] The terms "rotary drill bit" and "rotary drill bits" may be
used in this application to include various types of roller cone
drill bits, rotary cone drill bits, fixed cutter drill bits, drag
bits, matrix drill bits and PDC drill bits operable to form a
wellbore extending through one or more downhole formations. Rotary
drill bits and associated components formed in accordance with
teachings of the present disclosure may have many different designs
and configurations. Cutting elements and blades incorporating
features of the present disclosure may also be used with reamers,
near bit reamers, and other downhole tools associated with forming
a wellbore.
[0018] The terms "cutting element" and "cutting elements" may be
used in this application to include various types of compacts,
cutters and/or inserts satisfactory for use with a wide variety of
rotary drill bits. The term "cutter" may include, but is not
limited to, face cutters, gage cutters, inner cutters, shoulder
cutters, active gage cutters and passive gage cutters.
[0019] Polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDC), PDC cutters and PDC
inserts are often used as cutting elements for rotary drill bits.
Polycrystalline diamond compacts may also be referred to as PDC
compacts.
[0020] For some applications cutting elements formed in accordance
with teachings of the present disclosure may include one or more
polycrystalline diamond layers formed on a substrate by using an
intermetallic aluminide catalyst. Such layers may sometimes be
referred to as "cutting layers" or "tables". Cutting layers may be
formed with a wide variety of configurations, shapes and dimensions
in accordance with teachings of the present disclosure. Examples of
such configurations and shapes may include, but are not limited to,
"cutting surfaces", "cutting edges", "cutting faces" and "cutting
sides".
[0021] The terms "cutting structure" and "cutting structures" may
be used in this application to include various combinations and
arrangements of cutting elements, cutters, face cutters, gage
cutters, impact arrestors, protectors, blades and/or other portions
of rotary drill bits, coring bits, reamers and other downhole tools
used to form a wellbore. Some fixed cutter drill bits may include
one or more blades extending from an associated bit body. Cutting
elements are often arranged in rows on exterior portions of a blade
or other exterior portions of a bit body associated with fixed
cutter drill bits. Various configurations of blades and cutters may
be used to form cutting structures for a fixed cutter drill bit in
accordance with teachings of the present disclosure.
[0022] One embodiment of the present disclosure may include using
nickel aluminide as a catalyst during production of PDC cutters.
Nickel aluminide is not a typical alloy of nickel and aluminum,
rather nickel aluminide is a well ordered crystalline compound
expressed as Ni.sub.3Al. It is one of an emerging materials family
of intermetallic aluminides that also includes iron aluminide,
cobalt aluminide, titanium aluminide, nickel-platinum aluminide,
nickel-titanium aluminide, niobium aluminide, ruthenium aluminide,
scandium aluminide, and zirconium aluminide. The process may
involve loading a cell with a WC substrate inclusive of a small
percent (2% to 15%) of cobalt and covering one end or one portion
of the substrate with a mixture of intermetallic nickel aluminide
powder and diamond particles of a size range between approximately
3 microns to 60 microns. A size range of 5 microns and 25 microns
of diamond particles may be preferred for some applications.
[0023] Resulting PDC's may have a diamond volume percent between
approximately 50% and 95% of the total volume of each PDC. A
diamond volume percent between approximately 75% and 92% may be
preferred for some applications. A substrate with a mixture of
diamond particles and an intermetallic aluminide may be placed in a
conventional container associated with manufacture of PDC cutters.
The loaded cell may then be placed into an ultra high pressure
press and brought up to pressures and temperatures for time periods
as are well known in the art and described at length in the
literature. The result may be a PDC cutter better suited to high
temperature applications and/or to ferrous machining applications
than prior art PDC cutters.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a cutting element which includes a substrate
with a PDC layer disposed on one end thereof. The PDC layer may be
found using an intermetallic aluminide catalyst as previously
described.
[0025] For some applications a wafer of intermetallic nickel
aluminide may be placed between one end of a substrate and powder
mixture of intermetallic nickel aluminide and diamond particles.
This wafer may act as a barrier to large scale migration of cobalt
from the substrate into the PDC during the pressing cycle. If too
much cobalt enters into the PDC during the process then advantages
obtained through the use of an intermetallic aluminide catalyst may
be reduced.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows a cutting element which includes a layer or
wafer of intermetallic aluminide disposed between one end of a
substrate and an associate PDC layer. The PDC layer may be formed
using an intermetallic aluminide as previously described. The
substrates shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be formed from a wide variety
of materials including, but not limited to, tungsten carbide
(WC).
[0027] PDC cutters made using the teachings of the present
disclosure are especially applicable to rock drilling tools, down
hole drilling and reaming tools, mining tools, ferrous and
non-ferrous machining tools, wire dies, wood processing, and
diamond saw blades for rock quarrying.
[0028] Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been
described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,
substitutions and alternations can be made herein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the
following claims.
* * * * *