Claims
- 1. A polycrystalline diamond element comprising a body with a working surface, wherein a first volume of the body remote from the working surface contains a catalyzing material, a second volume of the body adjacent to the working surface is substantially free of the catalyzing material to a depth from the working surface, wherein a thermal gradient of the bonded diamonds causes a 950 degrees C. temperature at the working surface to be less than 750 degrees C. at the depth.
- 2. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1, wherein the thermal gradient is greater than 1000 degrees C. per mm.
- 3. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 2, wherein the thermal gradient is greater than 2000 degrees C. per mm.
- 4. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1, wherein the second volume of the body has a diamond density higher than elsewhere in the body.
- 5. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1, wherein a majority of the catalyzing material remaining in the second volume of the body adheres to surfaces of diamond crystals.
- 6. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1 wherein the body is bonded to a substrate of less hard material.
- 7. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 6 wherein the less hard material is cemented tungsten carbide.
- 8. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1 comprising a preform cutting element having a facing table and a cutting surface, wherein the working surface comprises a portion of the cutting surface.
- 9. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 8, wherein the cutting element is mounted upon a cutting face of a fixed cutter rotary drill bit.
- 10. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 8, wherein the cutting element is mounted upon a body of a rolling cutter drill bit.
- 11. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a plurality of partially bonded diamond crystals and an interstitial matrix, and wherein the part of the interstitial matrix located within the first volume contains the catalyzing material, and the part of the interstitial matrix located within the second volume is substantially free of the catalyzing material.
- 12. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein the thermal gradient is greater than 1000 degrees C. per mm.
- 13. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein the thermal gradient is greater than 2000 degrees C. per mm.
- 14. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein the second volume of the body has a diamond density higher than elsewhere in the body.
- 15. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein a majority of diamond crystals located within the second volume of the body have a surface which is substantially free of catalyzing material.
- 16. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein a majority of the catalyzing material remaining in the second volume of the body adheres to surfaces of the diamond crystals.
- 17. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein the diamond crystals in the second volume remote from the first volume have less catalyzing material adhering to their surfaces than the diamond crystals in the second volume which are adjacent to the first volume.
- 18. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein an amount of catalyzing material within the second volume of the body continuously decreases with distance from the first volume.
- 19. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, wherein an amount of catalyzing material within the second volume of the body increases with increasing distance from the first volume.
- 20. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 19, wherein the amount of catalyzing material within the second volume increases in steps.
- 21. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11 comprising a preform cutting element having a facing table and a cutting surface, wherein the working surface comprises a portion of the cutting surface.
- 22. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 21, wherein the cutting element is mounted upon a cutting face of a fixed cutter rotary drill bit.
- 23. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 21, wherein the cutting element is mounted upon a body of a rolling cutter drill bit.
- 24. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, comprising a cutting element with a cutting surface adapted for use as a cutting insert in a machining operation, wherein the working surface comprises a portion of the cutting surface.
- 25. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, comprising a drawing die, wherein the working surface comprises a portion of the drawing die contact surface.
- 26. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, comprising a heat sink.
- 27. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11, comprising a device selected from the group consisting of a valve surface, indentor, tool mandrel, and wear element for a measuring device.
- 28. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 11 wherein the body is bonded to a substrate of less hard material.
- 29. The polycrystalline diamond element of claim 28 wherein the less hard material is cemented tungsten carbide.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/682,042 filed on Jul. 13, 2001, by Nigel D. Griffin and Peter R. Hughes, hereby incorporated herein by reference which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/234,075 filed Sep. 20, 2000, and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/281,054 filed Apr. 2, 2001.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60234075 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
|
60281054 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09682042 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10604007 |
Jun 2003 |
US |