Patents by Inventor Anthony A. DiGiovanni

Anthony A. DiGiovanni has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9302236
    Abstract: Methods for forming cutting elements comprising polycrystalline materials, methods for forming polycrystalline compacts for cutting elements of a drilling tool, methods for forming polycrystalline diamond compacts, and resulting polycrystalline compacts and cutting elements are disclosed. Grains of a hard material are introduced to a press and subjected to a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) process to sinter the grains. The system conditions (i.e., temperature and pressure) are then adjusted past a phase or state change point, after which, at least one of the system conditions is held during an anneal stage before the system conditions are adjusted to final levels. The resulting compacts and cutting elements may therefore include inter-granularly bonded hard material grains with a more stable microstructure (e.g., less stressed microstructure) than a polycrystalline compact and cutting element formed without an anneal stage during the HPHT process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Danny E. Scott
  • Publication number: 20160069140
    Abstract: A cutting element for an earth-boring tool includes a substrate and volume of superabrasive material positioned on the substrate. The volume of superabrasive material includes a cutting face having at least one recess extending into the volume of superabrasive material and/or at least one protrusion extending outward from the volume of superabrasive material. The volume of superabrasive material includes a first chamfer surface having a peripheral edge and a radially innermost edge. The peripheral edge of the first chamfer surface is located proximate a cutting edge of the volume of superabrasive material. A radial width of the first chamfer surface is between about 0.002 inch and about 0.045 inch. The volume of superabrasive material also includes a second chamfer surface having a peripheral edge and a radially innermost edge. The peripheral edge of the second chamfer surface is located adjacent the radially innermost edge of the first chamfer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Suresh G. Patel, David A. Stockey, Alejandro Flores, Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Danny E. Scott, Leroy W. Ledgerwood, III
  • Publication number: 20160052109
    Abstract: Methods of forming polycrystalline diamond include encapsulating diamond particles and a hydrocarbon substance in a canister, and subjecting the encapsulated diamond particles and hydrocarbon substance to a pressure and a temperature sufficient to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond particles. Cutting elements for use in an earth-boring tool includes a polycrystalline diamond material formed by such processes. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20160053549
    Abstract: A method of forming a cutting element for an earth-boring tool. The method includes providing diamond particles on a supporting substrate, the volume of diamond particles comprising a plurality of diamond nanoparticles. A catalyst-containing layer is provided on exposed surfaces of the volume of diamond nanoparticles and the supporting substrate. The diamond particles are processed under high temperature and high pressure conditions to form a sintered nanoparticle-enhanced polycrystalline compact. A cutting element and an earth-boring tool including a cutting element are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Serdar Ozbayraktar, Kaveshini Naidoo
  • Patent number: 9259803
    Abstract: Apparatuses for forming chamfers on superabrasive tables of cutting elements for earth-boring tools include a chuck for temporarily holding and positioning a cutting element, and at least one emitter for emitting a beam of energy toward an edge of a superabrasive table of a cutting element held and positioned by the chuck. Methods of forming cutting elements for earth-boring tools and methods for forming earth-boring tools are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20160031064
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating polycrystalline diamond include functionalizing surfaces of carbon-free nanoparticles with one or more functional groups, combining the functionalized nanoparticles with diamond nanoparticles and diamond grit to form a particle mixture, and subjecting the particle mixture to high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond nanoparticles and the diamond grit. Cutting elements for use in an earth-boring tool includes a polycrystalline diamond material formed by such processes. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Soma Chakraborty, Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Gaurav Agrawal
  • Patent number: 9243452
    Abstract: Cutting elements for earth-boring tools include one or more recesses and/or one or more protrusions in a cutting face of a volume of superabrasive material. The superabrasive material may be disposed on a substrate. The cutting face may be non-planar. The recesses and/or protrusions may include one or more linear segments. The recesses and/or protrusions may comprise discrete features that are laterally isolated from one another. The recesses and/or protrusions may have a helical configuration. The volume of superabrasive material may comprise a plurality of thin layers, at least two of which may differ in at least one characteristic. Methods of forming cutting elements include the formation of such recesses and/or protrusions in and/or on a cutting face of a volume of superabrasive material. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements, and methods of forming earth-boring tools include attaching such a cutting element to a tool body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated, Element Six Limited
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Yavuz Kadioglu, Danny E. Scott, Matthew J. Meiners, Rudolf Carl Pessier, Nicholas J. Lyons, Clement D. van der Riet, Donald Royceton Herschell, Cornelis Roelof Jonker, Roger William Nigel Nilen, Gerard Peter Dolan
  • Publication number: 20160008956
    Abstract: Polycrystalline compacts include smaller and larger hard grains that are interbonded to form a polycrystalline hard material. The larger grains may be at least about 33 times larger than the smaller grains. An interstitial material comprising one or more of a boride, a carbide, a nitride, a metal carbonate, a metal bicarbonate, and a non-catalytic metal may be disposed between the grains. The compacts may be used as cutting elements for earth-boring tools such as drill bits, and may be disposed on a substrate. A particulate mixture includes a first plurality of grains of hard material having a coating formed over the grains of hard material. The coating comprises at least one of a boride, a carbide, a nitride, a metal carbonate, a metal bicarbonate, and a non-catalytic metal. A second plurality of grains of hard material has a grain size at least 33 times larger than the first plurality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20160010397
    Abstract: An earth-boring tool includes a cutting element having a first volume of polycrystalline material including catalyst material and a second volume free of catalyst material. A boundary between the first volume and the second volume is nonlinear in a cross-sectional plane that includes a centerline of the cutting element and an anticipated point of contact of the cutting element with the surface of the formation to be cut. Each line tangent the boundary in the cross-sectional plane forms an angle with the centerline of the cutting element greater than the contact back rake angle of the cutting element. In some cutting elements, some portions of the boundary may have another selected shape. Some cutting elements have a boundary wherein tangent lines form angles of greater than 20° with the centerline of the cutting element. Methods of forming wellbores are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: David A. Stockey, Alejandro Flores, Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20160008954
    Abstract: An abrasive article, comprising a polycrystalline material comprising abrasive grains and a filler material having an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within a range of temperatures between about 70 K to about 1500 K. A method of forming an abrasive article, comprising preparing an abrasive material, preparing a filler material having an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within a range of temperatures between about 150 K to about 1500 K, and forming a polycrystalline material comprising grains of the abrasive material and the filler material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20150367310
    Abstract: Methods of forming polycrystalline diamond compacts include employing field assisted sintering techniques with high temperature and high pressure sintering techniques. For example, a particle mixture that includes diamond particles may be sintered by subjecting the particle mixture to a high temperature and high pressure sintering cycle, and pulsing direct electrical current through the particle mixture during at least a portion of the high temperature and high pressure sintering cycle. The polycrystalline diamond compacts may be used to form cutting elements for earth-boring tools. Sintering systems are configured to perform such sintering processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Danny E. Scott, Yavuz Kadioglu
  • Patent number: 9212537
    Abstract: A component of a wellbore tool comprises a plurality of compartments disposed over a body of the component and a coating disposed over at least a portion of a surface of the body. Each compartment comprises a healing agent formulated to form or catalyze the formation of a barrier upon release from the compartment. A matrix material separates the plurality of compartments. Methods of forming wellbore tools include forming a body, forming a plurality of capsules, and forming a coating comprising the capsules over the body. Methods of utilizing a wellbore tool in a subterranean borehole include contacting at least a portion of a body with a fluid comprising a healing agent formulated to a barrier. Coatings for wellbore tools include a fiber comprising a plurality of discrete cells and a matrix material contacting and at least partially surrounding the fiber. Each cell comprises a healing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Sunil Kumar, Hendrik John, Michael R. Wells, Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Patent number: 9205531
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating polycrystalline diamond include encapsulating diamond particles and a hydrocarbon substance in a canister, and subjecting the encapsulated diamond particles and hydrocarbon substance to a pressure of at least 5.0 GPa and a temperature of at least 1400° C. to form inter-granular bonds between the diamond particles. Cutting elements for use in an earth-boring tool includes a polycrystalline diamond material formed by such processes. Earth-boring tools include such cutting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20150336801
    Abstract: Coated diamond particles have solid diamond cores and at least one graphene layer. Methods of forming coated diamond particles include coating diamond particles with a charged species and coating the diamond particles with a graphene layer. A composition includes a substance and a plurality of coated diamond particles dispersed within the substance. An intermediate structure includes a hard polycrystalline material comprising a first plurality of diamond particles and a second plurality of diamond particles. The first plurality of diamond particles and the second plurality of diamond particles are interspersed. A method of forming a polycrystalline compact includes catalyzing the formation of inter-granular bonds between adjacent particles of a plurality of diamond particles having at least one graphene layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Soma Chakraborty, Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Gaurav Agrawal, Danny E. Scott, Vipul Mathur
  • Patent number: 9194189
    Abstract: A method of forming a cutting element for an earth-boring tool. The method includes providing diamond particles on a supporting substrate, the volume of diamond particles comprising a plurality of diamond nanoparticles. A catalyst-containing layer is provided on exposed surfaces of the volume of diamond nanoparticles and the supporting substrate. The diamond particles are processed under high temperature and high pressure conditions to form a sintered nanoparticle-enhanced polycrystalline compact. A cutting element and an earth-boring tool including a cutting element are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, Serdar Ozbayraktar, Kaveshini Naidoo
  • Patent number: 9187961
    Abstract: Polycrystalline compacts include smaller and larger hard grains that are interbonded to form a polycrystalline hard material. The larger grains may be at least about 150 times larger than the smaller grains. An interstitial material comprising one or more of a boride, a carbide, a nitride, a metal carbonate, a metal bicarbonate, and a non-catalytic metal may be disposed between the grains. The compacts may be used as cutting elements for earth-boring tools such as drill bits, and may be disposed on a substrate. A particulate mixture includes a first plurality of grains of hard material having a first average grain size of about five hundred nanometers (500 nm) or less and having a coating formed over the grains of hard material. The coating comprises at least one of a boride, a carbide, a nitride, a metal carbonate, a metal bicarbonate, and a non-catalytic metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Patent number: 9174325
    Abstract: An abrasive article, comprising a polycrystalline material comprising abrasive grains and a filler material having an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within a range of temperatures between about 70 K to about 1500 K. A method of forming an abrasive article, comprising preparing an abrasive material, preparing a filler material having an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) within a range of temperatures between about 150 K to about 1500 K, and forming a polycrystalline material comprising grains of the abrasive material and the filler material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20150283618
    Abstract: Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutting elements include leached and un-leached regions. The leached region may be or include a leached annular region. An inner boundary of the leached annular region remote from a side surface of the polycrystalline diamond may have a non-linear profile in a plane extending through the PDC cutting element along a longitudinal axis of the cutting element. Methods of forming PDC cutting elements include configuring polycrystalline diamond of a PDC cutting element to have such a leached annular region with a non-linear profile. Earth-boring tools may be formed that include such PDC cutting elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Anthony A. DiGiovanni, David A. Stockey
  • Publication number: 20150285007
    Abstract: Cutting elements for earth-boring tools may include a substrate and a polycrystalline superabrasive material secured to the substrate. The polycrystalline superabrasive material may include a first region including catalyst material in interstitial spaces among interbonded grains of the polycrystalline superabrasive material. A second region at least substantially free of catalyst material in the interstitial spaces among the interbonded grains of the polycrystalline superabrasive material may be located adjacent to the first region. An undulating boundary defined between the first region and the second region may extend from a longitudinal axis of the cutting element to a periphery of the cutting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: BAKER HUGHES INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David A. Stockey, Anthony A. DiGiovanni
  • Publication number: 20150283674
    Abstract: Methods for forming cutting elements, methods for forming polycrystalline compacts, and related polycrystalline compacts are disclosed. Grains of a hard material are subjected to a high-pressure, high-temperature process to form a polycrystalline compact. Inclusion of at least one relatively quick spike in system pressure or temperature during an otherwise plateaued temperature or pressure stage accommodates formation of inter-granular bonds between the grains. The brevity of the peak stage may avoid undesirable grain growth. Embodiments of the methods may also include at least one of oscillating at least one system condition (e.g., pressure, temperature) and subjecting the grains to ultrasonic or mechanical vibrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Danny E. Scott, Anthony A. DiGiovanni