GRADIENT POLYCRYSTALLINE CUBIC BORON NITRIDE MATERIALS AND TOOLS INCORPORATING SUCH MATERIALS

• US 20100288817A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Smith International Incorporated (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Yao, Xian
• Granted Patent: US 8,074,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 228/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/1255 Tools therefor, e.g. characterised by the shape of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 18/00 Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3217 Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3232 Titanium oxides or titanates, e.g. rutile or anatase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3418 Silicon oxide, silicic acids, or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint glass constituents C04B2235/36
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3839 Refractory metal carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3843 Titanium carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3847 Tungsten carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3856 Carbonitrides, e.g. titanium carbonitride, zirconium carbonitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3865 Aluminium nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3886 Refractory metal nitrides, e.g. vanadium nitride, tungsten nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5436 micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/80 Phases present in the sintered or melt-cast ceramic products other than the main phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/94 Products characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/361 Boron nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/588 by joining layers or articles of the same composition but having different particle or grain sizes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/5831 based on cubic boron nitrides or Wurtzitic boron nitrides, including crystal structure transformation of powder
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/645 Pressure sintering

Abstract

Gradient polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) materials are provided as well as tools incorporating such materials.

Claims

1. A friction stir welding (FSW) tool comprising:

a spindle;

a base coupled to the spindle; and

a pin extending from the base for stirring materials being welded by said FSW tool, wherein the base comprises a first high pressure high temperature (HPHT) sintered polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) material and wherein the pin comprises a second HPHT sintered PCBN material, wherein the first PCBN material has a composition different from the second PCBN material.

2. The FSW tool of claim 1 wherein the second PCBN material comprises coarser cubic boron nitride (cBN) grains than the first PCBN material.

3. The FSW tool of claim 2 wherein the second PCBN material comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 10 to 50 microns and wherein the first PCBN material comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 2 to 30 microns.

4. The FSW tool of claim 2 wherein each of said first and second PCBN materials comprise a second phase comprising at least one of a ceramic or oxide phase, wherein the second phase of the second PCBN material is different from the second phase of the first PCBN material.

5. The FSW tool of claim 2 wherein each of said first and second PCBN materials comprises in the range of 80% to 95% by volume cBN.

6. The FSW tool of claim 1 wherein the first PCBN material comprises coarser cubic boron nitride (cBN) grains than the second PCBN material.

7. The FSW tool of claim 6 wherein the second PCBN material comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 2 to 30 microns and wherein the first PCBN material comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 10 to 50 microns.

8. The FSW tool of claim 6 wherein each of said first and second PCBN materials comprise a second phase comprising at least one of a ceramic or oxide phase, wherein the second phase of the second PCBN material is different from the second phase of the first PCBN material.

9. The FSW tool of claim 6 wherein each of said first and second PCBN materials comprises in the range of 80% to 95% by volume cBN.

10. The FSW tool of claim 1 wherein the first PCBN material comprises a first layer and second layer, wherein the first layer comprises coarser cubic boron nitride (cBN) grains than the second layer, wherein the pin extends from the first layer.

11. The FSW tool of claim 10 wherein the second layer comprises a ceramic second phase.

12. The FSW tool of claim 10 wherein the pin and the first layer comprise the same HPHT sintered PCBN material.

13. The FSW tool of claim 12 wherein the second PCBN material and the second layer comprise cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 10 to 50 microns and wherein the second layer comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 2 to 30 microns.

14. The FSW tool of claim 12 wherein said second layer comprises in the range of 50% to 80% by volume cBN.

15. The FSW tool of claim 12 wherein said first layer and said second PCBN material each comprise in the range of 80% to 95% by volume cBN.

16. The FSW tool of claim 15 wherein said second layer comprises in the range of 50% to 80% by volume cBN.

17. The FSW tool of claim 1 wherein a portion of the pin penetrates said base and wherein said base surrounds said portion of said pin.

18. The FSW tool of claim 17 wherein the pin comprises a wider section and a narrower section extending from the wider section, wherein the wider section penetrates said base.

19. The FSW tool of claim 18 wherein the base surrounds the entire wider section.

20. The FSW tool of claim 17 wherein the base is ring shaped.

21. The FSW tool of claim 17 wherein the second PCBN material comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 10 to 50 microns and wherein the first PCBN material comprises cBN grains having a grain size in the range of 2 to 30 microns.

22. The FSW tool of claim 17 wherein said first PCBN material comprises in the range of 50% to 80% by volume cBN.

23. The FSW tool of claim 17 wherein said second PCBN material comprises in the range of 60% to 95% by volume cBN.

24. The FSW tool of claim 23 wherein said first PCBN material comprises in the range of 50% to 80% by volume cBN.

25. The FSW tool of claim 23 wherein said second PCBN material comprises a ceramic binder phase.