Abstract: A super hard polycrystalline construction has a first region having a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material with an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, a second region forming a substrate to the first region and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface and has a composite material having a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, the majority of the diamond grains having a coating comprising nano-sized BN particles. There is also disclosed a method of making such a construction.

Abstract: A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a structure comprising superhard material, the structure having porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume. A method of forming such a superhard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a skeleton structure of a first material having a plurality of voids, at least partially filling some or all of the voids with a second material to form a pre-sinter assembly, and treating the pre-sinter assembly to sinter together grains of superhard material to form a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a first region of superhard grains, and an interpenetrating second region; the second region being formed of the other of the first or second material that does not comprise the superhard grains; the superhard grains forming a sintered structure having a porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a striking tool for use in a high velocity, high impact energy comminution mill. The tool comprises an elongate body attachable at a first end to the comminution mill, and further comprises a wear resistant element for improving the wear resistance of the striking tool. The wear resistant element comprises a plurality of individual units.

Abstract: A polycrystalline diamond construction comprising a body of polycrystalline diamond material formed of a mass of diamond grains exhibiting inter-granular bonding, wherein between around 50 wt % to around 99 wt % of the diamond grains in a cross-section of the body of polycrystalline diamond material taken at any orientation have a sectorial growth structure. A method of making the polycrystalline diamond construction is also disclosed.

Abstract: A super hard polycrystalline construction is disclosed as comprising a body of super hard material having a first fraction of super hard grains in a matrix of a second fraction of super hard grains. The average grain size of the first fraction is between around 1.5 to around 10 times the average grain size of the second fraction and the first fraction comprises around 5 vol % to around 30 vol % of the grains of super hard material in the body.

Abstract: A composite material comprising 50 to 95 mass % grains of primary material selected from the group consisting of talc, mica, graphite and hexagonal boron nitride, and 0.01 to 40 mass % fibers having a length of 0.05 to 20 mm, and a ratio of length to diameter of at least 5. The grains of the primary material have a mean size of 3 to 50 microns.

Abstract: A super hard polycrystalline construction is disclosed as comprising a body of super hard material bonded to a substrate. The body of super hard material comprises an outer peripheral region formed of interbonded grains of super hard material extending peripherally around one or more inner regions, the outer peripheral region having a radial thickness proportional to the square of the ratio of the fracture toughness of the material forming said outer peripheral region to the transverse rupture strength of the material forming said outer peripheral region (I) where TRS is the transverse rupture strength and KIC is the fracture toughness.

Abstract: A method of forming a super hard polycrystalline construction is disclosed as comprising placing a pre-formed structure of a first material into a canister, introducing a plurality of grains or particles of super hard material into the canister to locate the grains or particles in and/or around the pre-formed structure to form a pre-sinter assembly and treating the pre-sinter assembly at an ultra-high pressure of around 5 GPa or greater and a temperature to sinter together the grains of super hard material in the presence of a binder material to form the super hard polycrystalline construction comprising a body of polycrystalline super hard material having a first region of super hard grains in a binder material, and an embedded second region.

Abstract: A method of forming polycrystalline diamond comprised placing a plurality of graphene nano-platelets into a capsule; and subjecting the platelets to a pressure of around 10 GPa to around 20 GPa and a temperature of around 1600 degrees Celsius to around 3000 degrees Celcius to convert the graphene platelets to nano-polycrystalline diamond. There is also disclosed a polycrystalline super hard construction comprising a polycrystalline diamond region comprising polycrystalline diamond material formed according to said method.

Abstract: A super hard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline super hard material, said body having an exposed working surface, a substrate attached to the body of polycrystalline super hard material along an interface and a plurality of apertures or channels. One or more of said apertures or channels extend(s) from the exposed working surface of the body into the substrate.

Abstract: A sintered polycrystalline body and a method of forming the sintered polycrystalline body are disclosed. The sintered polycrystalline body comprises a plurality of particles cubic boron nitride dispersed in a matrix. The matrix includes materials selected from compounds of any of titanium and aluminium. The polycrystalline body further comprises 0.1 to 5.0 volume % of lubricating chalcogenide particles dispersed in the matrix. The chalcogenide particles have a coefficient of friction of less than 0.1 with respect to a workpiece material. Preferably sulfide particles are used as lubricant. Preferably 30-70 vol.-% cBN is contained. Sintering takes place at 1100-1600° C. and 4-8 GPa.

Abstract: Polycrystalline cubic boron nitride, PCBN, material and methods of making PCBN. A method includes providing a matrix precursor powder comprising particles having an average particle size no greater than 250 nm, providing a cubic boron nitride, cBN, powder comprising particles of cBN having an average particle size of at least 0.2 intimately mixing the matrix precursor powder and the cBN powder,and sintering the intimately mixed powders at a temperature of at least 1100° C. and a pressure of at least 3.5 GPa to form the PCBN material comprising particles of cubic boron nitride, cBN dispersed in a matrix material.

Abstract: A high-pressure high-temperature, HPHT, diamond tool piece and a method of producing an HPHT diamond tool piece. At least a portion of the HPHT diamond tool piece comprises an aggregated nitrogen centre to C-nitrogen centre ratio of greater than 30%. The method includes irradiating an HPHTdiamond material to introduce vacancies in the diamond crystal lattice, annealing the HPHT diamond material such that at least a portion of the HPHT diamond material comprises an aggregated nitrogen centre to C-nitrogen centre ratio of greater than 30%,andprocessing the HPHT diamond material to form an HPHT diamond tool piece.

Abstract: An assembly for High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) synthesis of a superhard material. The assembly comprises a container comprising a first metal. A closure also comprising the first metal is sealed to the container using a sealant material. The sealant material comprises a second metal, the seal comprising a composition of the first and second metals formable below the melting point of the second metal. The container contains superhard material.

Abstract: A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material formed of a mass of superhard grains exhibiting inter-granular bonding and defining a plurality of interstitial regions therebetween, and a non-superhard phase at least partially filling a plurality of the interstitial regions and having an associated shape factor of greater than around 0.65 and a substrate bonded to the body of superhard material along an interface, the substrate having a region adjacent the interface comprising binder material in an amount at least 5% less than the remainder of the substrate.

Abstract: A super hard construction comprises a substrate comprising a peripheral surface, an interface surface and a longitudinal axis extending in a plane and a super hard material layer formed over the substrate and having an exposed outer surface, a peripheral surface extending therefrom and an interface surface. One of the interface surface of the substrate or the interface surface of the super hard material layer comprises one or more projections arranged to project from the interface surface, the one or more projections being spaced from the peripheral surface of the substrate and a peripheral flange extending between the peripheral side edge and the interface surface. The peripheral flange is inclined at an angle of between around 5 degrees to around 30 degrees to a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane through which the longitudinal axis extends.

Abstract: A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a structure comprising superhard material, the structure having porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume. A method of forming such a superhard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a skeleton structure of a first material having a plurality of voids, at least partially filling some or all of the voids with a second material to form a pre-sinter assembly, and treating the pre-sinter assembly to sinter together grains of superhard material to form a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a first region of superhard grains, and an interpenetrating second region; the second region being formed of the other of the first or second material that does not comprise the superhard grains; the superhard grains forming a sintered structure having a porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume.

Abstract: A diamond powder comprising diamond particles having an average particle size of no more than 20 ?m and a vacancy or impurity-vacancy point defect concentration of at least 1 ppm. At least 70% of the volume of diamond in the powder is formed from a single crystal growth sector. This leads to a substantially uniform concentration of vacancies or impurity-vacancy point defects in the diamond particles because the rate of impurity take-up during growth is heavily dependent on the growth sector, which in turn leads to a more uniform fluorescent response. There is also described a method for making such a powder.

Abstract: A composite material comprising 50 to 95 mass % grains of primary material selected from the group consisting of talc, mica, graphite and hexagonal boron nitride, and 0.01 to 40 mass % fibres having a length of 0.05 to 20 mm, and a ratio of length to diameter of at least 5. The grains of the primary material have a mean size of 3 to 50 microns.

Abstract: A superhard polycrystalline construction (30) comprises a first region (34) comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline superhard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface (4), and a peripheral side edge (6), a second region (32) forming a substrate to the first region, and a third region (36) at least partially interposed between the first and second regions wherein the third region comprises a material more acid resistant than polycrystalline diamond material having a binder-catalyst phase comprising cobalt, and/or more acid resistant than cemented carbide material.