The invention generally relates to drill bits and other tools that may be used in drilling subterranean formations, and to abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing materials that may be used on surfaces of such drill bits and tools. The invention also relates to methods for applying abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing to surfaces of drill bits and tools.
A conventional fixed-cutter, or “drag,” rotary drill bit for drilling subterranean formations includes a bit body having a face region thereon carrying cutting elements for cutting into an earth formation. The bit body may be secured to a hardened steel shank having a threaded pin connection, such as an API threaded pin, for attaching the drill bit to a drill string that includes tubular pipe segments coupled end to end between the drill bit and other drilling equipment. Equipment such as a rotary table or top drive may be used for rotating the tubular pipe and drill bit. Alternatively, the shank may be coupled to the drive shaft of a down hole motor to rotate the drill bit independently of, or in conjunction with, a rotary table or top drive.
Typically, the bit body of a drill bit is formed from steel or a combination of a steel blank embedded in a particle-matrix composite material that includes hard particulate material, such as tungsten carbide, infiltrated with a molten binder material such as a copper alloy. The hardened steel shank generally is secured to the bit body after the bit body has been formed. Structural features may be provided at selected locations on and in the bit body to facilitate the drilling process. Such structural features may include, for example, radially and longitudinally extending blades, cutting element pockets, ridges, lands, nozzle ports, and drilling fluid courses and passages. The cutting elements generally are secured to cutting element pockets that are machined into blades located on the face region of the bit body, e.g., the leading edges of the radially and longitudinally extending blades. These structural features, such as the cutting element pockets, may also be formed by a mold used to form the bit body when the molten binder material is infiltrated into the hard particulate material. Advantageously, a particle-matrix composite material provides a bit body of higher strength and toughness compared to steel material, but still is subject to slurry erosion and abrasive wear, particularly on lower stress surface areas of the drill bit. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method of manufacturing suitable for producing a bit body that includes hardfacing materials that are less prone to slurry erosion and wear.
Generally, most or all of the cutting elements of a conventional fixed-cutter rotary drill bit for drilling soft and medium formations each include a cutting surface comprising a hard, superabrasive material such as mutually bound particles of polycrystalline diamond. Such “polycrystalline diamond compact” (PDC) cutters have been employed on fixed-cutter rotary drill bits in the oil and gas well drilling industries for several decades.
A drill bit 10 may be used numerous times to perform successive drilling operations during which the surfaces of the bit body 12 and cutting elements 22 may be subjected to extreme forces and stresses as the cutting elements 22 of the drill bit 10 shear away the underlying earth formation. These extreme forces and stresses cause the cutting elements 22 and the surfaces of the bit body 12 to wear. Eventually, the surfaces of the bit body 12 may wear to an extent at which the drill bit 10 is no longer suitable for use. Therefore, there is a need in the art for enhancing the wear-resistance of the surfaces of the body 12. Also, the cutting elements 22 may wear to an extent at which they are no longer suitable for use.
Conventional bonding material 24 is much less resistant to wear than are other portions and surfaces of the drill bit 10 and of cutting elements 22. During use, small vugs, voids and other defects may be formed in exposed surfaces of the bonding material 24 due to wear. Solids-laden drilling fluids and formation debris generated during the drilling process may further erode, abrade and enlarge the small vugs and voids in the bonding material 24 even though partially shielded from the higher stresses caused by formation cutting. The entire cutting element 22 may separate from the drill bit body 12 during a drilling operation if enough bonding material 24 is removed. Loss of a cutting element 22 during a drilling operation can lead to rapid wear of other cutting elements and catastrophic failure of the entire drill bit 10. Therefore, there is also a need in the art for an effective method for enhancing the wear-resistance of the bonding material to help prevent the loss of cutting elements during drilling operations.
Ideally, the materials of a rotary drill bit must be extremely hard to withstand abrasion and erosion attendant to drilling earth formations without excessive wear. Due to the extreme forces and stresses to which drill bits are subjected during drilling operations, the materials of an ideal drill bit must simultaneously exhibit high fracture toughness. In practicality, however, materials that exhibit extremely high hardness tend to be relatively brittle and do not exhibit high fracture toughness, while materials exhibiting high fracture toughness tend to be relatively soft and do not exhibit high hardness. As a result, a compromise must be made between hardness and fracture toughness when selecting materials for use in drill bits.
In an effort to simultaneously improve both the hardness and fracture toughness of rotary drill bits, composite materials have been applied to the surfaces of drill bits that are subjected to extreme wear. These composite or hard particle materials are often referred to as “hardfacing” materials and typically include at least one phase that exhibits relatively high hardness and another phase that exhibits relatively high fracture toughness.
Tungsten carbide particles 40 used in hardfacing materials may comprise one or more of cast tungsten carbide particles, sintered tungsten carbide particles, and macrocrystalline tungsten carbide particles. The tungsten carbide system includes two stoichiometric compounds, WC and W2C, with a continuous range of mixtures therebetween. Cast tungsten carbide generally includes a eutectic mixture of the WC and W2C compounds. Sintered tungsten carbide particles include relatively smaller particles of WC bonded together by a matrix material. Cobalt and cobalt alloys are often used as matrix materials in sintered tungsten carbide particles. Sintered tungsten carbide particles can be formed by mixing together a first powder that includes the relatively smaller tungsten carbide particles and a second powder that includes cobalt particles. The powder mixture is formed in a “green” state. The green powder mixture then is sintered at a temperature near the melting temperature of the cobalt particles to form a matrix of cobalt material surrounding the tungsten carbide particles to form particles of sintered tungsten carbide. Finally, macrocrystalline tungsten carbide particles generally consist of single crystals of WC.
Various techniques known in the art may be used to apply a hardfacing material such as that represented in
Arc welding techniques also may be used to apply a hardfacing material to a surface of a drill bit. For example, a plasma transferred arc may be established between an electrode and a region on a surface of a drill bit on which it is desired to apply a hardfacing material. A powder mixture including both particles of tungsten carbide and particles of matrix material then may be directed through or proximate the plasma-transferred arc onto the region of the surface of the drill bit. The heat generated by the arc melts at least the particles of matrix material to form a weld pool on the surface of the drill bit, which subsequently solidifies to form the hardfacing material layer on the surface of the drill bit.
When a hardfacing material is applied to a surface of a drill bit, relatively high temperatures are used to melt at least the matrix material. At these relatively high temperatures, dissolution may occur between the tungsten carbide particles and the matrix material. In other words, after applying the hardfacing material, at least some atoms originally contained in a tungsten carbide particle (tungsten and carbon, for example) may be found in the matrix material surrounding the tungsten carbide particle. In addition, at least some atoms originally contained in the matrix material (iron, for example) may be found in the tungsten carbide particles.
Dissolution between the tungsten carbide particle 40 and the matrix material 46 may embrittle the matrix material 46 in the region 47 surrounding the tungsten carbide particle 40 and reduce the hardness of the tungsten carbide particle 40 in the outer region 41 thereof, reducing the overall effectiveness of the hardfacing material. Dissolution is the process of dissolving a solid, such as the tungsten carbide particle 40, into a liquid, such as the matrix material 46, particularly when at elevated temperatures and when the matrix material 46 is in its liquid phase, which transforms the material composition of the matrix material. In one aspect, dissolution is the process where a solid substance enters (generally at elevated temperatures) a molten matrix material that changes the composition of the matrix material. Dissolution occurs more rapidly as the temperature of the matrix material 46 approaches the melting temperature of tungsten carbide particle 40. For example, an iron-based matrix material will have greater dissolution of the tungsten carbide particles 40 than a nickel-based matrix material will, because of the higher temperatures required in order to bring the iron-based matrix material into a molten state during application. With a change in the composition of the matrix material, the material also becomes more sensitive to slurry erosion and wear, particularly on lower stress surface areas of the drill bit and bit body. Therefore, there is a need in the art for abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing materials that include a matrix material that allows for dissolution between tungsten carbide particles and the matrix material to be minimized. There is also a need in the art for methods of applying such abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing materials to surfaces of particle-matrix composite drill bits, and for drill bits and drilling tools that include such particle-matrix composite materials.
A rotary drill bit is provided that includes an abrasive wear-resistant material, which may be characterized as a “hardfacing” material, for enhancing the wear-resistance of surfaces of the drill bit.
In embodiments of the invention, a rotary drill bit includes a bit body having an exterior surface and an abrasive wear-resistant material disposed on the exterior surface of the bit body, the abrasive wear-resistant material comprising a particle-matrix composite material having reduced dissolution.
Methods for applying an abrasive wear-resistant material to a surface of a drill bit in accordance with embodiments of the invention are also provided.
Other advantages, features and alternative aspects of the invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the various embodiments of the invention when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming that which is regarded as the invention, the advantages of this invention may be more readily ascertained from the following description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The illustrations presented herein are, in some instances, not actual views of any particular drill bit, cutting element, hardfacing material or other feature of a drill bit, but are merely idealized representations which are employed to describe the invention. Additionally, like elements and features among the various drawing figures are identified for convenience with the same or similar reference numerals.
Embodiments of the invention may be used to enhance the wear resistance of rotary drill bits, particularly rotary drill bits having an abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material applied to lower stress surface portions thereof. A rotary drill bit 140 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in
As the formation-engaging surfaces of the various regions of the blades 114 slide and scrape against the formation during application of WOB and rotation to drill a formation, the material of the blades 114 at the formation-engaging surfaces thereof has a tendency to wear away. This wearing away of the material of the blades 114 at the formation-engaging surfaces may lead to loss of cutting elements and/or bit instability (e.g., bit whirl), which may further lead to catastrophic failure of the drill bit 140.
In an effort to reduce the wearing away of the material of the blades 114 at the formation-engaging surfaces, various wear-resistant structures and materials have been placed on and/or in these surfaces of the blades 114. For example, inserts such as bricks, studs, and wear knots formed from an abrasive wear-resistant material, such as, for example, tungsten carbide, have been inset in formation-engaging surfaces of blades 114.
As shown in
Abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material (i.e., hardfacing material) also may be applied at selected locations on the formation-engaging surfaces of the blades 114, particularly the low stress surface portions that are not directly subject to the extreme forces and stresses attendant the cutting surfaces, such as the cutting elements 118. For example, a torch for applying an oxygen-acetylene weld (OAW) or an arc welder, for example, may be used to at least partially melt the wear-resistant hardfacing material to facilitate application of the wear-resistant hardfacing material to the surfaces of the blades 114. Application of the wear-resistant hardfacing material, i.e., hardfacing material, to the bit body 112 is described below.
With continued reference to
The manner in which the recesses 142 are formed or otherwise provided in the blades 114 may depend on the material from which the blades 114 have been formed. For example, if the blades 114 comprise cemented carbide or other particle-matrix composite material, as described below, the recesses 142 may be formed in the blades 114 using, for example, a conventional milling machine or other conventional machining tool (including hand-held machining tools). Optionally, the recesses 142 may be provided in the blades 114 during formation of the blades 114. The invention is not limited by the manner in which the recesses 142 are formed in the blades 114 of the bit body 112 of the drill bit 140, however, and any method that can be used to form the recesses 142 in a particular drill bit 140 may be used to provide drill bits that embody teachings of the invention.
As shown in
It is recognized in other embodiments of the invention, hardfacing material may optionally be applied directly to the face 120 of the bit body 112 without creating recesses 142 while still enhancing the wear-resistance of the surfaces of the bit body.
In the embodiment shown in
In additional embodiments, recesses for receiving the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material may be provided around cutting elements.
Additionally, in this configuration, the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 may cover and protect at least a portion of the bonding material 124 used to secure the cutting element 118 within the cutter pocket 122, which may protect the bonding material 124 from wear during drilling. By protecting the bonding material 124 from wear during drilling, the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 may help to prevent separation of the cutting element 118 from the blade 114, damage to the bit body, and catastrophic failure of the drill bit.
Furthermore, it is to be recognized that the cutting element 118 is illustratively shown with the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 disposed in the recesses 190 about cutting element 118. For materials of the cutting element 118 that are more sensitive to temperature excursion and higher temperature, the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 may be applied to the recesses 190 prior to bonding the cutting element 118 into the cutter pocket 122, which may potentially requiring grinding, for example, of the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 in order to prep the cutter pocket 122 for locatably receiving the cutting element 118 therein. Also, the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 may be applied to the recesses 190 during or subsequent to bonding the cutting element 118 into the cutter pocket 122. For example, applying the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 in the recesses 190 disposed about the cutting element 118 may be accomplished without damage thereto, when the cutting table, i.e., polycrystalline diamond compact table, of the cutting element 118 is either less affected by temperature transitions during application than the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 or the cutting table is disposed forward of the recesses 190 so as to not be directly disposed to the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing material 160 during application into the recess 190.
The rotary drill bit 140 further includes an abrasive wear-resistant material 160 disposed on a surface of the drill bit 140. Moreover, regions of the abrasive wear-resistant material 160 may be configured to protect exposed surfaces of the bonding material 124.
In this configuration, the continuous portions of the abrasive wear-resistant material 160 may cover and protect at least a portion of the bonding material 124 disposed between the cutting element 118 and the bit body 112 from wear during drilling operations. By protecting the bonding material 124 from wear during drilling operations, the abrasive wear-resistant material 160 helps to prevent separation of the cutting element 118 from the bit body 112 during drilling operations, damage to the bit body 112, and catastrophic failure of the rotary drill bit 140.
The continuous portions of the abrasive wear-resistant material 160 that cover and protect exposed surfaces of the bonding material 124 may be configured as a bead or beads of abrasive wear-resistant material 160 provided along and over the edges of the interfacing surfaces of the bit body 112 and the cutting element 118. The abrasive wear-resistant material 160 provides an effective method for enhancing the wear-resistance of the bonding material 124 to help prevent the loss of cutting elements 118 during drilling operations
The abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing materials described herein may comprise, for example, a ceramic-metal composite material (i.e., a “cermet” material) comprising a plurality of hard ceramic phase regions or particles dispersed throughout a metal matrix material. The hard ceramic phase regions or particles may comprise carbides, nitrides, oxides, and borides (including boron carbide (B4C)). More specifically, the hard ceramic phase regions or particles may comprise carbides and borides made from elements such as W, Ti, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Ta, Cr, Zr, Al, and Si. By way of example and not limitation, materials that may be used to form hard ceramic phase regions or particles include tungsten carbide, titanium carbide (TiC), tantalum carbide (TaC), titanium diboride (TiB2), chromium carbides, titanium nitride (TiN), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), and silicon carbide (SiC). The metal matrix material of the ceramic-metal composite material may include, for example, cobalt-based, iron-based, nickel-based, iron and nickel-based, cobalt and nickel-based, iron and cobalt-based, aluminum-based, copper-based, magnesium-based, and titanium-based alloys. The matrix material may also be selected from commercially pure elements such as cobalt, aluminum, copper, magnesium, titanium, iron, and nickel.
In embodiments of the invention, the abrasive wear-resistant hardfacing materials may be applied to a bit body or tool body and include materials as described below. As used herein, the term “bit” includes not only conventional drill bits, but also core bits, bi-center bits, eccentric bits, tri-cone bits and tools employed in drilling of a well bore.
The plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 in this embodiment of the invention are a tungsten carbide material, but may include other materials as indicated herein. The plurality of carbide granules 58 may include tungsten carbide or other materials as indicated herein. The plurality of carbide granules 58 may be or include cast carbide pellets, crushed cast carbide, spherical cast carbide and spherical sintered carbide, and may further include pluralities thereof. The plurality of carbide granules 58 may also include macrocrystalline carbide.
In at least one embodiment of the invention, the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 may include a plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 substantially randomly dispersed throughout a matrix material 60 with or without the tungsten carbide granules 58 as illustrated in
In some embodiments of the invention, the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 may include a plurality of dense sintered tungsten carbide pellets 56, a plurality of sintered tungsten carbide granules 58, and a plurality of spherical cast tungsten carbide pellets 59 substantially randomly disposed through a matrix material 60. The matrix material 60 comprising a nickel-based alloy material, as shown in
In still other embodiments of the invention, the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 may include a plurality of dense sintered tungsten carbide pellets 56, a plurality of crushed cast tungsten carbide granules 58, and a plurality of spherical cast tungsten carbide pellets 59 substantially randomly disposed through a matrix material 60. The matrix material 60 may comprise an iron-based alloy material, as shown in
Corners, sharp edges, and angular projections may produce residual stresses, which may cause tungsten carbide material in the regions of the particles proximate the residual stresses to melt at lower temperatures during application of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to a surface of a drill bit. Melting or partial melting of the tungsten carbide material during application may facilitate dissolution between the tungsten carbide particles and the surrounding matrix material. As previously discussed herein, dissolution between the matrix material 60 and the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and carbide granules 58 may embrittle the matrix material 60 in regions surrounding the tungsten carbide pellets 56 and carbide granules 58 and may reduce the toughness of the hardfacing material, particularly when the matrix material is iron-based, as illustrated in
The matrix material 60 may comprise between about 20% and about 75% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. More particularly, the matrix material 60 may comprise between about 55% and about 70% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. The plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may comprise between about 25% and about 70% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. More particularly, the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may comprise between about 10% and about 45% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. Furthermore, the plurality of carbide granules 58 may comprise less than about 35% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. For example, the matrix material 60 may be about 60% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54, the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may be about 30% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54, and the plurality of carbide granules 58 may be about 10% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. As another example, the matrix material 60 may be about 65% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54, and the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may be about 35% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54.
The dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may include −40/+80 ASTM mesh pellets. As used herein, the phrase “−40/+80 ASTM mesh pellets” means pellets that are capable of passing through an ASTM No. 40 U.S.A. standard testing sieve, but incapable of passing through an ASTM No. 80 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. Such dense sintered carbide pellets may have an average diameter of less than about 425 microns and greater than about 180 microns. The average diameter of the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may be between about 0.4 times and about 10 times greater than the average diameter of the carbide granules 58 or pellets 59. The carbide granules 58 may include −16 ASTM mesh granules. As used herein, the phrase “−16 ASTM mesh granules” means granules that are capable of passing through an ASTM No. 16 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. More particularly, the carbide granules 58 may include −100 ASTM mesh granules. As used herein, the phrase “−100 ASTM mesh granules” means granules that are capable of passing through an ASTM No. 100 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. Such cast carbide granules may have an average diameter of less than about 150 microns.
As an example, the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may include −45/+70 ASTM mesh pellets, and the carbide granules 58 may include −100/+325 ASTM mesh granules. As used herein, the phrase “−45/+70 ASTM mesh pellets” means pellets that are capable of passing through an ASTM No. 45 U.S.A. standard testing sieve, but incapable of passing through an ASTM No. 70 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. Such dense sintered carbide pellets 59 may have an average diameter of less than about 355 microns and greater than about 212 microns. Furthermore, the phrase “−100/+325 ASTM mesh granules,” as used herein, means granules capable of passing through an ASTM No. 100 U.S.A. standard testing sieve, but incapable of passing through an ASTM No. 325 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. Such carbide granules 58 may have an average diameter in a range from approximately 45 microns to about 150 microns.
As another example, the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may include a plurality of −60/+80 ASTM mesh dense sintered carbide pellets and a plurality of −16/+270 ASTM mesh sintered tungsten carbide granules. The plurality of −60/+80 ASTM mesh dense sintered carbide pellets may comprise between about 10% and about 45% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54, and the plurality of −16/+270 ASTM mesh sintered carbide pellets may comprise less than about 35% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. As used herein, the phrase “−16/+270 ASTM mesh pellets” means pellets capable of passing through an ASTM No. 16 U.S.A. standard testing sieve, but incapable of passing through an ASTM No. 270 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. Such dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may have an average diameter in a range from approximately 180 microns to about 250 microns.
As yet another example, the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may include a plurality of −40/+80 ASTM mesh dense sintered carbide pellets. The plurality of −40/+80 ASTM mesh dense sintered carbide pellets may comprise about 35% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 and the matrix material 60 may be about 65% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54.
In one particular embodiment, set forth merely as an example, the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 may include about 40% by weight matrix material 60, about 48% by weight −40/+80 ASTM mesh dense sintered carbide pellets 56, and about 12% by weight −140/+325 ASTM mesh carbide granules 58. As used herein, the phrase “−40/+80 ASTM mesh pellets” means pellets that are capable of passing through an ASTM No. 40 U.S.A. standard testing sieve, but incapable of passing through an ASTM No. 80 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. Similarly, the phrase “−140/+325 ASTM mesh pellets” means carbide granules that are capable of passing through an ASTM No. 140 U.S.A. standard testing sieve, but incapable of passing through an ASTM No. 325 U.S.A. standard testing sieve. The matrix material 60 may include a nickel-based alloy, which may further include one or more additional elements such as, for example, chromium, boron, and silicon. The matrix material 60 also may have a melting point of less than about 1100° C., and may exhibit a hardness of between about 20 and about 55 on the Rockwell C Scale. More particularly, the matrix material 60 may exhibit a hardness of between about 35 and about 50 on the Rockwell C Scale. For example, the matrix material 60 may exhibit a hardness of about 40 on the Rockwell C Scale.
Cast granules and sintered pellets of carbides other than tungsten carbide also may be used to provide abrasive wear-resistant materials that embody teachings of the invention. Such other carbides include, but are not limited to, chromium carbide, molybdenum carbide, niobium carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium carbide, and vanadium carbide.
The matrix material 60 may comprise a metal alloy material having a melting point that is less than about 1100° C. Furthermore, each dense sintered carbide pellet 56 of the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may comprise a plurality of tungsten carbide particles bonded together with a binder alloy having a melting point that is greater than about 1200° C. For example, the binder alloy may comprise a cobalt-based metal alloy material or a nickel-based alloy material having a melting point that is lower than about 1200° C. In this configuration, the matrix material 60 may be substantially melted during application of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to a surface of a drilling tool such as a drill bit without substantially melting the carbide granules 58, or the binder alloy or the tungsten carbide particles of the dense sintered carbide pellets 56. This enables the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to be applied to a surface of a drilling tool at relatively lower temperatures to minimize dissolution between the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and the matrix material 60 and between the carbide granules 58 and the matrix material 60.
As previously discussed herein, minimizing atomic diffusion between the matrix material 60 and the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and carbide granules 58, helps to preserve the chemical composition and the physical properties of the matrix material 60, the dense sintered carbide pellets 56, and the carbide granules 58 during application of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to the surfaces of drill bits and other tools.
The matrix material 60 also may include relatively small amounts of other elements, such as carbon, chromium, silicon, boron, iron, and nickel. Furthermore, the matrix material 60 also may include a flux material such as silicomanganese, an alloying element such as niobium, and a binder such as a polymer material.
The dense sintered carbide pellets 56 may have relatively high fracture toughness relative to the carbide granules 58, while the carbide granules 58 may have relatively high hardness relative to the dense sintered carbide pellets 56. By using matrix materials 60 as described herein, the fracture toughness of the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and the hardness of the carbide granules 58 may be preserved in the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 during application of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to a drill bit or other drilling tool, providing an abrasive wear-resistant material 54 that is improved relative to abrasive wear-resistant materials known in the art.
Abrasive wear-resistant materials according to embodiments of the invention, such as the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 illustrated in
Certain locations on a surface of a drill bit may require relatively higher hardness, while other locations on the surface of the drill bit may require relatively higher fracture toughness. The relative weight percentages of the matrix material 60, the plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56, and the optional plurality of carbide granules 58 may be selectively varied to provide an abrasive wear-resistant material 54 that exhibits physical properties tailored to a particular tool or to a particular area on a surface of a tool.
In addition to being applied to selected areas on surfaces of drill bits and drilling tools that are subjected to wear, the abrasive wear-resistant materials according to embodiments of the invention may be used to protect structural features or materials of drill bits and drilling tools that are relatively more prone to wear, including the examples presented above.
The abrasive wear-resistant material 54 may be used to cover and protect interfaces between any two structures or features of a drill bit or other drilling tool, for example, the interface between a bit body and a periphery of wear knots or any type of insert in the bit body. In addition, the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 is not limited to use at interfaces between structures or features and may be used at any location on any surface of a drill bit or drilling tool that is subjected to wear, such as on surfaces of the bit body about the nozzle's outlets, within the junk slots 116, and between cutting elements 118, for example, and without limitation.
Abrasive wear-resistant materials according to embodiments of the invention, such as the abrasive wear-resistant material 54, may be applied to the selected surfaces of a drill bit or drilling tool using variations of techniques known in the art. For example, a pre-application abrasive wear-resistant material according to embodiments of the invention may be provided in the form of a welding rod. The welding rod may comprise a solid, cast or extruded rod consisting of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54. Alternatively, the welding rod may comprise a hollow cylindrical tube formed from the matrix material 60 and filled with a plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and a plurality of carbide granules 58. An OAW torch or any other type of gas fuel torch may be used to heat at least a portion of the welding rod to a temperature above the melting point of the matrix material 60. This may minimize the extent of atomic diffusion occurring between the matrix material 60 and the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and carbide granules 58.
The rate of dissolution occurring between the matrix material 60 and the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and carbide granules 58 is at least partially a function of the temperature at which dissolution occurs. The extent of dissolution, therefore, is at least partially a function of both the temperature at which dissolution occurs and the time for which dissolution is allowed to occur. Therefore, the extent of dissolution occurring between the matrix material 60 and the dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and carbide granules 58 may be controlled by employing good heat management control.
An OAW torch may be capable of heating materials to temperatures in excess of 1200° C. It may be beneficial to slightly melt the surface of the drill bit or drilling tool to which the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 is to be applied just prior to applying the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to the surface. For example, the OAW torch may be brought in close proximity to a surface of a drill bit or drilling tool and used to heat to the surface to a sufficiently high temperature to slightly melt or “sweat” the surface. The welding rod comprising pre-application wear-resistant material may then be brought in close proximity to the surface and the distance between the torch and the welding rod may be adjusted to heat at least a portion of the welding rod to a temperature above the melting point of the matrix material 60 to melt the matrix material 60. The molten matrix material 60, at least some of the dense sintered carbide pellets 56, and at least some of the carbide granules 58 may be applied to the surface of the drill bit, and the molten matrix material 60 may be solidified by controlled cooling. The rate of cooling may be controlled to control the microstructure and physical properties of the abrasive wear-resistant material 54.
Alternatively, the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 may be applied to a surface of a drill bit or drilling tool using an arc welding technique, such as a plasma-transferred arc welding technique. For example, the matrix material 60 may be provided in the form of a powder (small particles of matrix material 60). A plurality of dense sintered carbide pellets 56 and a plurality of carbide granules 58 may be mixed with the powdered matrix material 60 to provide a pre-application wear-resistant material in the form of a powder mixture. A plasma-transferred arc welding machine then may be used to heat at least a portion of the pre-application wear-resistant material to a temperature above the melting point of the matrix material 60 and less than about 1200° C. to melt the matrix material 60.
All arc methods, whether continuous or pulsed arc, may be utilized with embodiments of the invention. Other welding techniques, such as metal inert gas (MIG) arc welding techniques, tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc welding techniques, and flame spray welding techniques are known in the art and may be used to apply the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 to a surface of a drill bit or drilling tool. Still other techniques may include plasma transferred arc (PTA) and submerged arc. The arc methods may include application by way of powder, wire or tube feed mechanisms. As the above arc methods for applying the abrasive wear-resistant material 54 are merely illustrative, and are not a limitation to the methods herein presented.
The abrasive wear-resistant material, i.e., hardfacing, is suitable for application upon a bit body made from steel material, particle-matrix composite material or so called “cemented carbide” material. Particle-matrix composite material for a bit body is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/272,439, filed Nov. 10, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,776,256, issued Aug. 17, 2010, the disclosure of which application is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
While the invention has been described herein with respect to certain embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that it is not so limited. Rather, many additions, deletions and modifications to the embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. In addition, features from one embodiment may be combined with features of another embodiment while still being encompassed within the scope of the invention as contemplated by the inventors. Further, the invention has utility in drill bits and core bits having different and various bit profiles as well as cutting element types.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/848,154, filed Sep. 29, 2006, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/513,677, filed Aug. 30, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,555, issued Apr. 27, 2010; and a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/223,215, filed Sep. 9, 2005, now U.S. Patent No. 7,597,159, issued Oct. 6, 2009, the disclosure of each of which application is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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Child | 11513677 | US |