CUTTING ELEMENTS HAVING NON-PLANAR CUTTING FACES WITH SELECTIVELY LEACHED REGIONS, EARTH-BORING TOOLS INCLUDING SUCH CUTTING ELEMENTS, AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20150259986A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Stockey, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,845,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/001 Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 18/0009 using moulds or presses
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/005 the constituent being used during pre- or after-treatment B24D3/348 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/10 for porous or cellular structure, e.g. for use with diamonds as abrasives
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 99/005 Segments of abrasive wheels
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/42 Rotary drag type drill bits with teeth, blades or like cutting elements, e.g. fork-type bits, fish tail bits characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/46; by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluid E21B10/60; by detachable or adjustable parts E21B10/62
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/55 with preformed cutting elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/5673 having a non planar or non circular cutting face

Abstract

A cutting element may include a substrate and a volume of polycrystalline diamond material affixed to the substrate at an interface. The volume of polycrystalline diamond may include a front cutting face with at least one substantially planar portion and at least one recess. The at least one recess may extend from a plane defined by the at least one substantially planar portion a first depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in an axial direction parallel to a central axis of the cutting element. The volume of polycrystalline diamond material may comprise a region including a catalyst material. At least one region substantially free of the catalyst material may extend from the at least one substantially planar portion of the front cutting face a second depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond in the axial direction. Methods of forming cutting elements.

Claims

1. A cutting element, comprising:

a substrate; and

a volume of polycrystalline diamond material affixed to the substrate at an interface, the volume of polycrystalline diamond material comprising;

a front cutting face with at least one substantially planar portion and at least one recess, the at least one recess extending from a plane defined by the at least one substantially planar portion a first depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in an axial direction parallel to a central axis of the cutting element;

a region including a catalyst material disposed in interstitial spaces between diamond grains of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material, the region including the catalyst material extending through the volume of polycrystalline diamond material from the interface to an exposed surface of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material within the at least one recess of the front cutting face; and

at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material, wherein the at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material extends from the at least one substantially planar portion of the front cutting face a second depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in the axial direction.

2. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material comprises two discrete regions substantially free of the catalyst material, and wherein the region including the catalyst material is disposed at least partially between the two discrete regions substantially free of the catalyst material.

3. The cutting element of claim 2, wherein the at least one substantially planar portion of the front cutting face comprises two discrete substantially planar portions, and wherein each of the two discrete regions substantially free of the catalyst material extends from a respective one of the two discrete substantially planar portions of the front cutting face the second depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in the axial direction.

4. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material extends to an exposed surface of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material proximate a cutting edge formed between the front cutting face and a generally cylindrical lateral side surface of the cutting element.

5. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the second depth is less than the first depth.

6. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the second depth is substantially equal to the first depth.

7. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth.

8. The cutting element of claim 7, wherein the second depth is at least about ten percent (10%) greater than the first depth.

9. The cutting element of claim 7, wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth by at least about 0.0254 mm (0.001 inch).

10. An earth-boring tool, comprising:

a body; and

the cutting element of claim 1 affixed to the body.

11. The earth-boring tool of claim 10, wherein the earth-boring tool is a fixed-cutter drill bit.

12. A cutting element, comprising:

a substrate; and

a volume of polycrystalline diamond material affixed to the substrate at an interface, the volume of polycrystalline diamond material comprising;

a front cutting face with at least one substantially planar portion and at least one recess, the at least one recess extending from a plane defined by the at least one substantially planar portion a first depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in an axial direction parallel to a central axis of the cutting element;

a region including a catalyst material disposed in interstitial spaces between diamond grains of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material; and

at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material, wherein the at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material extends from the at least one substantially planar portion of the front cutting face a second depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in the axial direction, and wherein the at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material extends from a lowermost region of an exposed surface of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material within the at least one recess a third depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in the axial direction.

13. The cutting element of claim 12, wherein the third depth is less than the second depth.

14. The cutting element of claim 12, wherein the at least one region substantially free of catalyst material extends substantially continuously over a surface of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material defined by the front cutting face.

15. The cutting element of claim 14, wherein the at least one region substantially free of catalyst material and the region including the catalyst material meet at a substantially planar boundary extending substantially continuously through the volume of polycrystalline diamond material.

16. The cutting element of claim 15, wherein the substantially planar boundary extends normal to the axial direction.

17. An earth-boring tool, comprising:

a body; and

the cutting element of claim 12 affixed to the body.

18. A method of fabricating a cutting element, comprising:

providing a volume of polycrystalline diamond material comprising diamond grains and a catalyst material disposed in interstitial spaces between the diamond grains, the volume of polycrystalline diamond material comprising a front cutting face with at least one substantially planar portion and at least one recess, the recess extending a first depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in an axial direction parallel to a central axis of the cutting element; and

forming at least one region substantially free of the catalyst material within the volume of polycrystalline diamond material, the region extending from the at least one substantially planar portion of the front cutting face a second depth into the volume of polycrystalline diamond material in the axial direction, wherein the second depth is greater than the first depth.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein removing the catalyst material from a region of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material comprises:

applying a mask material resistant to a leaching agent to a surface of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material within the recess of the front cutting face; and

introducing at least a portion of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material and the mask material to the leaching agent.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising removing at least a portion of the mask material from the recess and subsequently reintroducing at least a portion of the previously masked portion of the volume of polycrystalline diamond material to the leaching agent.