Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Qi Liang

William Brian Atkins

Gagan Saini

Enrique Antonio Reyes

Andy Cheng Chang

Brian Atkins

Tiffany Anne Pinder

Paul B Lively

The present disclosure relates a method of purifying diamond by removing carbon contaminants from diamond grains in the diamond by a plasma cleaning process at a temperature at which metal inclusion contaminants in the diamond grains crack the diamond grains from within, and removing metal contaminants from the diamond in a chemical or electrochemical cleaning process.

Purifying diamond powder

The present disclosure relates a spark plasma sintered polycrystalline diamond and methods of spark plasma sintering leached polycrystalline diamond. Spark plasma sintering produces plasma from a reactant gas found in the pores left by catalyst removal from leached polycrystalline diamond. The plasma forms diamond bonds and/or carbide structures in the pores, which may produce polycrystalline diamond that is has a higher impact strength than the leached polycrystalline diamond or other improved properties.

Spark plasma sintered polycrystalline diamond

The present disclosure relates to polycrystalline diamond covalently bonded to a substrate by spark plasma sintering and methods of covalently bonding polycrystalline diamond and a substrate. Spark plasma sintering produces plasma from a reactant gas found in the pores in the polycrystalline diamond and, optionally, also the substrate. The plasma forms carbide structures in the pores, which covalently bond to the substrate.

Spark plasma sintered polycrystalline diamond compact

Chemical methods, optionally in combination with physical methods, may be used to increase the strength of the bond formed by a braze material between a polycrystalline material and a hard composite. Such polycrystalline materials brazed to hard composites may be found in various wellbore tools include drill bit cutters. An exemplary method may include forming a bonding layer on a bonding surface of a polycrystalline material body that comprises a hard material, the bonding surface opposing a contact surface of the polycrystalline material body, and the bonding layer substantially formed by a [111] crystal structure of the hard material, a [100] crystal structure of the hard material, or a combination thereof; and brazing the bonding layer to a hard composite using a braze material.

Chemically strengthened bond between thermally stable polycrystalline hard materials and braze material

The present disclosure relates to methods of laser-leaching polycrystalline diamond (PCD), devices for performing such methods, and to laser-leached PCD and elements and drill bits containing laser-leached PCD.

Laser-leached polycrystalline diamond and laser-leaching methods and devices

The present disclosure relates to a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) including a gradient interfacial layer between a thermally stable diamond (TSP) table and a base, such as a substrate or an earth-boring drill bit body. The gradient interfacial layer has a gradient of coefficients of thermal expansion between that of the diamond and the base. The disclosure also relates to methods of forming a gradient interfacial layer and a PDC containing such a layer.

Polycrystalline diamond compact with gradient interfacial layer

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for determining the leaching profile of a cutter on a drilling tool are disclosed. The method includes applying an X-ray impermeable layer to a surface of a leached PCD element with residual infiltrant. The method also includes moving the element through an X-ray beam. The method further includes detecting an X-ray intensity received by an X-ray detector. The method further includes generating a leaching profile of the leached PCD element based on the X-ray intensity.

Determining the leaching profile of a cutter on a drilling tool

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for electrochemical metal or other positive ion removal from polycrystalline diamond (PCD), such as PCD used in earth-boring drill bits. PCD used in the systems and methods described herein has an electrical conductivity-enhanced region.

Electrochemical removal of metal or other material from polycrystalline diamond

Catalyst extraction from polycrystalline diamond table may be achieved by treating with a halogen (in the gas phase or dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent) to convert the catalyzing material to a salt. Then, polar organic solvents may optionally be used to leach the salt from the polycrystalline diamond table. The polycrystalline diamond (with the salt of the catalyzing material present or at least partially leached therefrom) may be brazed to a hard composite substrate to produce a cutter suitable for use in a matrix drill bit.

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Richmond, VA, United States of America

Qi Liang