Abstract: A tool for removing material includes a body, an ultrahard insert, and a matrix. The body has a forward portion, an opposing rear portion, and a longitudinal axis therebetween. The ultrahard insert includes an ultrahard material, and the ultrahard insert is mounted to and contacts the body proximate the forward portion. The matrix contacts the body and the ultrahard insert. The matrix is mechanically interlocked with the body and at least a portion of the matrix is positioned circumferentially around at least a portion of the forward portion of the body.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond body includes mixing a sintering agent with diamond powder to form a premixed layer, the sintering agent including at least one alkaline earth metal carbonate; forming an infiltration layer adjacent to the premixed layer, the infiltration layer including an infiltrant material including at least one alkaline earth metal carbonate; and subjecting the premixed layer and the infiltration layer to high pressure high temperature conditions.

Abstract: Luminescent diamond is made by subjecting a volume of diamond grains to high-pressure/high-temperature conditions with or without a catalyst or pressure transfer media to cause the grains to undergo plastic deformation to produce nitrogen vacancy defects, increasing the luminescent activity/intensity of the resulting diamond material. The consolidated diamond material may be further treated to further increase luminescent activity/intensity including reducing the consolidated diamond material to diamond particles, heat treatment in vacuum, and/or air heat treatment. The resulting luminescent diamond particles display a level of luminescence intensity greater than that of conventional luminescent nanodiamond, and may be functionalized for use in biological applications.

Abstract: A cutting element may include a body, a concave cutting face formed at a first end of the body, the cutting face including one or more cutting ridges adjacent a cutting tip that are raised above the concavity of the cutting face and having a length that is at least about 10% of a diameter of the cutting face. An edge is formed around a perimeter of the cutting face, and the edge has an edge angle defined between a tangent of the cutting face and a cylindrical side surface of the body, the edge angle being acute at the cutting tip and varying around the perimeter of the cutting face.

Abstract: A method of making a cutting element includes subjecting a mixture of diamond particles and a carbonate material to high-pressure high-temperature sintering conditions to form a sintered carbonate-polycrystalline diamond body having a diamond matrix of diamond grains bonded together and carbonates residing in the interstitial regions between the diamond grains, the carbonate material having a non-uniform distribution throughout the diamond matrix. The carbonate-polycrystalline diamond body is subjected to a controlled temperature, a controlled pressure condition or a combination thereof, to effect an at least partial decomposition of the carbonate material.

Abstract: Luminescent diamond is made by subjecting a volume of diamond grains to high-pressure/high-temperature conditions with or without a catalyst to cause the grains to undergo plastic deformation to produce nitrogen vacancy defects in the diamond grains, increasing the luminescent activity/intensity of the resulting diamond material. The consolidated diamond material may be further treated to further increase luminescent activity/intensity, which treatment may comprise reducing the consolidated diamond material to diamond particles, heat treatment in vacuum, and air heat treatment, which reducing process further increases luminescent activity/intensity. The resulting luminescent diamond particles display a level of luminescence intensity greater than that of conventional luminescent nanodiamond, and may be functionalized for use in biological applications.

Abstract: A tool for removing material includes a body, an ultrahard insert, and a matrix. The body has a forward portion, an opposing rear portion, and a longitudinal axis therebetween. The ultrahard insert includes an ultrahard material, and the ultrahard insert is mounted to and contacts the body proximate the forward portion. The matrix contacts the body and the ultrahard insert. The matrix is mechanically interlocked with the body and at least a portion of the matrix is positioned circumferentially around at least a portion of the forward portion of the body.

Abstract: A cutting element has an intercrystalline-bonded diamond body that includes an inner region and an outer surface that includes a working surface of the cutting element. The outer surface is treated, after formation of the intercrystalline-bonded diamond by high-pressure/high-temperature process, to have a level of surface compressive stress that is greater than a compressive stress of the inner region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to cutting elements incorporating polycrystalline diamond bodies used for subterranean drilling applications, and more particularly, to polycrystalline diamond bodies having a high diamond content which are configured to provide improved properties of thermal stability and wear resistance, while maintaining a desired degree of impact resistance, when compared to prior polycrystalline diamond bodies. In various embodiments disclosed herein, a cutting element with high diamond content includes a modified PCD structure and/or a modified interface (between the PCD body and a substrate), to provide superior performance.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond body includes mixing a sintering agent with diamond powder to form a premixed layer, the sintering agent including at least one alkaline earth metal carbonate; forming an infiltration layer adjacent to the premixed layer, the infiltration layer including an infiltrant material including at least one alkaline earth metal carbonate; and subjecting the premixed layer and the infiltration layer to high pressure high temperature conditions.

Abstract: Polycrystalline ultra-hard constructions comprise a polycrystalline ultra-hard material body and two or more support members attached to the body by braze material. The support members include a backside support member and a side support member. The side support member is a one- or two-piece construction, and is positioned circumferentially around and extends axially along the body or both the body and the backside support member such that a working surface of the body remains exposed. The support members can be configured to provide a mechanical attachment or interlocking attachment with the body or another support member. The braze materials used in the construction can be different and selected to enhance the attachment and/or reduce the creation of thermal stress within the construction during assembly. The support members can be selected having different thermal expansion characteristics that also operate to reduce the thermal stress during construction assembly.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond cutting element includes assembling a diamond material, a substrate, and a source of catalyst material or infiltrant material distinct from the substrate, the source of catalyst material or infiltrant material being adjacent to the diamond material to form an assembly. The substrate includes an attachment material including a refractory metal. The assembly is subjected to a first high-pressure/high temperature condition to cause the catalyst material or infiltrant material to melt and infiltrate into the diamond material and subjected to a second high-pressure/high temperature condition to cause the attachment material to melt and infiltrate a portion of the infiltrated diamond material to bond the infiltrated diamond material to the substrate.

Abstract: Methods for joining an ultra-hard body, such as a thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP) body, to a substrate and mitigating the formation of high stress concentration regions between the ultra-hard body and the substrate. One method includes covering at least a portion of the ultra-hard body with an intermediate layer, placing the ultra-hard body and the intermediate layer in a mold, filling a remaining portion of mold with a substrate material including a matrix material and a binder material such that the intermediate layer is disposed between the ultra-hard body and the substrate material, and heating the mold to an infiltration temperature configured to melt the binder material and form the substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond body includes mixing a sintering agent with diamond powder to form a premixed layer, the sintering agent including at least one alkaline eat mewl carbonate; forming an infiltration layer adjacent to the premixed layer, the infiltration layer including an infiltrant material including at least one alkaline earth metal carbonate; and subjecting the premixed layer and the infiltration layer to high pressure high temperature conditions.

Abstract: HPHT press system includes a thermal insulation layer. The thermal insulation layer includes CsCl, CsBr, CsI, or a combination thereof, and the thermal insulation layer is electrically insulating. The thermal insulation layer may include a thermal insulation sleeve and/or a thermal insulation button for an HPHT cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to cutting elements incorporating polycrystalline diamond bodies used for subterranean drilling applications, and more particularly, to polycrystalline diamond bodies having a high diamond content which are configured to provide improved properties of thermal stability and wear resistance, while maintaining a desired degree of impact resistance, when compared to prior polycrystalline diamond bodies. In various embodiments disclosed herein, a cutting element with high diamond content includes a modified PCD structure and/or a modified interface (between the PCD body and a substrate), to provide superior performance.

Abstract: A cutting element has an intercrystalline-bonded diamond body that includes an inner region and an outer surface that includes a working surface of the cutting element. The outer surface is treated, after formation of the intercrystalline-bonded diamond by high-pressure/high-temperature process, to have a level of surface compressive stress that is greater than a compressive stress of the inner region.

Abstract: Diamond bonded constructions include a diamond body comprising intercrystalline bonded diamond and interstitial regions. The body has a working surface and an interface surface, and may be joined to a metallic substrate. The body has a gradient diamond volume content greater about 1.5 percent, wherein the diamond content at the interface surface is less than 94 percent, and increases moving toward the working surface. The body may include a region that is substantially free of a catalyst material otherwise disposed within the body and present in a gradient amount. An additional material may be included within the body and be present in a changing amount. The body may be formed by high-pressure HPHT processing, e.g., from 6,200 MPa to 10,000 MPa, to produce a sintered body having a characteristic diamond volume fraction v. average grain size relationship distinguishable from that of diamond bonded constructions form by conventional-pressure HPHT processing.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to cutting elements incorporating polycrystalline diamond bodies used for subterranean drilling applications, and more particularly, to polycrystalline diamond bodies having a high diamond content which are configured to provide improved properties of thermal stability and wear resistance, while maintaining a desired degree of impact resistance, when compared to prior polycrystalline diamond bodies. In various embodiments disclosed herein, a cutting element with high diamond content includes a modified PCD structure and/or a modified interface (between the PCD body and a substrate), to provide superior performance.

Abstract: Ultra-hard constructions comprise polycrystalline diamond-body having a first metallic substrate attached thereto, and having a second metallic substrate attached to the first metallic substrate. The first and second substrates each comprise a first hard particle phase, e.g., WC, and a second binder material phase, e.g., Co, wherein the hard particles in the second substrate are sized larger than those in the first substrate. The first substrate may contain a larger amount of binder material than the second substrate. Constructed in this matter, the first substrate is engineered to facilitate sintering diamond body during HPHT conditions, while the second substrate is engineered to provide an improved degree of erosion resistance when placed in an end-use application. The construction may be formed during a single HPHT process. The second substrate may comprise 80 percent or more of the combined thickness of the first and second substrates.