Smith International, Inc.

Charles Jeffrey Claunch

Yi Fang

Yahua Bao

Feng Yu

Qingyuan Liu

A method of forming a metal deposit on an ultra-hard material. In an embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of ultra-hard particles, mixing the ultra-hard particles in a solution with a metal salt, drying the solution to create a mixture of metal salt particles adhered to surfaces of the ultra-hard particles, heating the mixture to convert the metal salt particles into metal deposits on the surfaces of the ultra-hard particles, and HTHP sintering the mixture of ultra-hard particles with the metal deposits to form a polycrystalline ultra-hard material.

Method of forming metal deposits on ultrahard materials

Polycrystalline ultra-hard materials and compacts comprise an ultra-hard material body having a polycrystalline matrix of bonded together ultra-hard particles, e.g., diamond crystals, and a catalyst material disposed in interstitial regions within the polycrystalline matrix. The material microstructure is substantially free of localized concentrations, regions or volumes of the catalyst material or other substrate constituent. The body can include a region extending a depth from a body working surface and that is substantially free of the catalyst material. The compact is produced using a multi-stage HPHT process, e.g., comprising two HPHT process conditions, wherein during a first stage HPHT process the catalyst material is melted and only partially infiltrates the precursor ultra-hard material, and during a second stage further catalyst material infiltrates the precursor ultra-hard material to produce a fully sintered compact.

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Payson, UT, United States of America

Charles Jeffrey Claunch