Element Six Abrasives S.a.

Other

Element Six Gmbh

Baker Hughes Corporation

Baker Hughes, a Ge Compnay, LLC

Moosa Mahomed Adia

Geoffrey John Davies

Danny Eugene Scott

Klaus Tank

Jeffrey B Lund

Marcus R Skeem

John Hewitt Liversage

Aulette Stewart

Raymond Albert Chapman

Lesley Kay Hedges

Roy Derrick Achilles

David Christian Bowes

Clint Guy Smallman

Lai Hong Lai Sang

Paul Machael Daniel

James Wilbert Campbell

Hendrik Jacobus Van Jaarsveldt

A free standing PCD body comprises a PCD material formed of combination of intergrown diamond grains forming a diamond network and an interpenetrating metallic network, the PCD body not being attached to a second body or substrate formed of a different material. The diamond network is formed of diamond grains having a plurality of grain sizes, and comprises a grain size distribution having an average diamond grain size, wherein the largest component of the diamond grain size distribution is no greater than three times the average diamond grain size. The PCD material forming the free standing PCD body is homogeneous, such that the PCD body is spatially constant and invariant with respect to diamond network to metallic network volume ratio. The homogeneity is measured at a scale greater than ten times the average grain size and spans the dimension of the PCD body. The PCD material is also macroscopically residual stress free at said scale.

Superhard structure or body comprising a body of polycrystalline diamond containing material

A cutter element for rock removal comprises a free standing PCD body () comprising one or more physical volumes (), the PCD material being invariant in terms of the diamond and metal network compositional ratio and metal elemental composition such that each physical volume does not differ to any other physical volume with respect to diamond and metal network compositional ratio and metal elemental composition. The PCD body has a functional working volume () forming in use the region which comes into contact with the rock. A functional support volume () extant in use and having a proximal free surface extends from the functional working volume. The PCD body has an aspect ratio such that the ratio of the length (ae) of the longest edge of the circumscribing rectangular parallelepiped of the overall PCD body to the largest width (ad) of the smallest rectangular face from which the functional working volume extends of the circumscribing rectangular parallelepiped, is greater than or equal to 1.0.

Cutter element for rock removal applications

A cutter element for rock removal comprises a free standing PCD body () comprising two or more physical volumes () within the boundary of the PCD body, wherein adjacent physical volumes differ in one or more of diamond and metal network compositional ratio, metal elemental composition and diamond grain size distribution, a functional working volume () distal to the PCD body, the functional working volume forming in use a region which comes into contact with the rock. A functional support volume () extant in use and having a proximal free surface extends from the functional working volume. The PCD body has a shape having an aspect ratio such that the ratio of the length (ae) of the longest edge of the circumscribing rectangular parallelepiped of the overall PCD body to the largest width (ad) of the smallest rectangular face from which the functional working volume extends of the circumscribing rectangular parallelepiped, is greater than or equal to 1.0, and one or more of the physical volumes forms at least part of one or other or both of the functional working volume and the functional support volume.

Cutting elements for earth-boring tools may generate a shear lip at a wear scar thereon during cutting. A diamond table may exhibit a relatively high wear resistance, and an edge of the diamond table may be chamfered, the combination of which may result in the formation of a shear lip. Cutting elements may comprise multi-layer diamond tables that result in the formation of a shear lip during cutting. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements. Methods of forming cutting elements may include selectively designing and configuring the cutting elements to form a shear lip. Methods of cutting a formation using an earth-boring tool include cutting the formation with a cutting element on the tool, and generating a shear lip at a wear scar on the cutting element. The cutting element may be configured such that the shear lip comprises diamond material of the cutting element.

Cutting elements configured to generate shear lips during use in cutting, earth-boring tools including such cutting elements, and methods of forming and using such cutting elements and earth-boring tools

A superhard structure comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a first region and a second region. The second region is adjacent an exposed surface of the superhard structure and comprises a diamond material or cubic boron nitride with a density greater than 3.4&#xd7;103 kilograms per cubic meter when the second region comprises diamond material. The material(s) forming the first and second regions have a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion, the first and second regions being arranged such that this difference induces compression in the second region adjacent the exposed surface. The first/a further region has the highest coefficient of thermal expansion of the polycrystalline body and is separated in part from a peripheral free surface of the body by the second region or one or more further regions formed of a material(s) of a lower coefficient of thermal expansion. The regions comprise a plurality of grains of polycrystalline superhard material. The second region is peripherally discontinuous with a gap therein through which a portion of the region formed of the material of highest coefficient of thermal expansion extends to the free surface of the superhard structure. There is also disclosed a method for making such a structure.

Superhard structure and method of making same

A PCD structure comprising a first region, in a state of residual compressive stress, and a second region in a state of residual tensile stress adjacent the first region; the first and second regions each formed of respective PCD grades and directly bonded to each other by intergrowth of diamond grains, the PCD grades having transverse rupture strength (TRS) of at least 1,200 MPa. A third region in a state of residual compressive stress may also be provided such that the second region is disposed between the first and third regions and is bonded to the first and third regions by intergrowth of diamond grains.

Polycrystalline diamond structure

There is provided a method of making a composite abrasive compact which comprises an abrasive compact bonded to a substrate. The abrasive compact will generally be a diamond compact and the substrate will generally be a cemented carbide substrate. The composite abrasive compact is made under known conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for producing abrasive compacts. The method is characterised by the mass of abrasive particles from which the abrasive compact is made. This mass has three regions which are: (i) an inner region, adjacent the surface of the substrate on which the mass is provided, containing particles having at least four different average particle sizes; (ii) an outer region containing particles having at least three different average particle sizes; and (iii) an intermediate region between the first and second regions.

Method of making a composite abrasive compact

A method of making a bonded, coherent material comprising a mass of crystals, preferably diamond crystals, in a matrix is provided. The steps include providing a source of the crystals of the type to be grown and which are substantially free of macroscopically faceted surfaces, producing a reaction mass by bringing the source crystals into contact with a suitable solvent/catalyst, subjecting the reaction mass to conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for crystal growth in the reaction zone of a high temperature/high pressure apparatus to produce the material and removing the material from the reaction zone, the conditions of crystal growth being chosen such that the source crystals are converted to crystals having developed macroscopic facets of low Miller index. Preferably the conditions of elevated temperature and pressure used are such that the Wulff effect dominates.

Crystal-containing material

A method of making a bonded, coherent material comprising a mass of diamond crystals in a matrix, which optionally contains another phase. The method includes the steps of providing a source of diamond crystals, providing a plurality of diamond centers defined by diamond crystals, producing a reaction mass by bringing the source and growth centers into contact with a solvent/catalyst, subjecting the reaction mass to conditions of elevated temperature and pressure suitable for crystal growth in the reaction zone of a high temperature/high pressure apparatus to produce the material, and removing the material from the reaction zone. The method is characterized by providing the necessary supersaturation of carbon in the solvent/catalyst, at least in part and preferably predominantly, by a selection of particle size difference between the source crystal and the growth centers. The mass of diamond crystals in the matrix of the bonded, coherent material of the invention has a high concentration of twinned diamonds.

Sintering process for diamond and diamond growth

An abrasive body, particularly a tool insert, comprises an abrasive layer bonded to a substrate along an interface. The abrasive layer extends into the substrate to a depth below the interface at the periphery of the body and defines a continuous border around the periphery of the body. The abrasive body is further provided with one or more projections which extend from the interface into one of the layers. If the projection extends into the abrasive layer it is of the same material as the substrate and integral therewith. If the projection extends into the substrate layer, it is the same abrasive as the abrasive layer and integral therewith.

Growing community of inventors

Springs, South Africa

Moosa Mahomed Adia