Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material in a refined colloidal process and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintered at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintered at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material in a refined colloidal process and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintered at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material in a refined colloidal process and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintered at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material in a refined colloidal process and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintered at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material in a refined colloidal process and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintered at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: A method of coating ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces, or treated to render their surfaces vitreophilic, are coated with an oxide precursor material, which is then heat treated to dry and purify the coats. The heat treated, coated ultrahard abrasive particles are further treated to convert the coats to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride thereof, or an elemental form thereof, or a glass.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of producing an ultrahard abrasive composite material having a desirable overall thermal expansion coefficient mismatch, between the ultrahard particles and their matrix materials. The method includes the steps of providing a volume fraction of ultrahard particles having a pre-determined thermal expansion coefficient; determining the volume fraction and thermal expansion coefficient of a matrix material that would be required to produce an ultrahard composite material having a desired overall thermal expansion coefficient mismatch; contacting the ultrahard particles and the matrix material to form a reaction volume; and consolidating and sintering the reaction volume at a pressure and a temperature at which the ultrahard particles are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an ultrahard composite material comprising ultrahard particles dispersed in a nano-grain sized matrix material, wherein the average grain size of the matrix material, or at least one component of the matrix material, is within 30 nm of the Hall-Petch departure grain size for the matrix material or at least one component thereof. The ultrahard particles in the composite are cubic boron nitride and/or diamond, and the matrix materials are of a controlled and chosen phase and nano-grain size. Ultrahard composites with cubic boron nitride and diamond in nano-matrices of titanium nitride, zirconia, alumina, silica and chromium nitride are provided.

Abstract: A method of coating ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces, or treated to render their surfaces vitreophilic, are coated with an oxide precursor material, which is then heat treated to dry and purify the coats. The heat treated, coated ultrahard abrasive particles are further treated to convert the coats to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride thereof, or an elemental form thereof, or a glass.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing polycrystalline abrasive elements consisting of micron, sub-micron or nano-sized ultrahard abrasives dispersed in micron, sub-micron or nano-sized matrix materials. A plurality of ultrahard abrasive particles having vitreophilic surfaces are coated with a matrix precursor material and then treated to render them suitable for sintering. The matrix precursor material can be converted to an oxide, nitride, carbide, oxynitride, oxycarbide, or carbonitride, or an elemental form thereof. The coated ultrahard abrasive particles are consolidated and sintcred at a pressure and temperature at which they are crystallographically or thermodynamically stable.