Abstract: A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

Abstract: An acoustic emissions testing device includes a testing sample, an acoustic sensor communicably coupled to the testing sample, and a load that is exerted on the sample. The acoustic sensor detects one or more acoustic events occurring within the sample. The acoustic sensor transmits data to a data recorder, which includes a processor and storage medium for executing instructions provided by a software residing within the storage medium. Upon executing the instructions on the transmitted data, the toughness of the sample is objectively determined and can be ranked comparatively to the toughness of other samples. The instructions provide for categorizing the data into possible acoustic event points and background data points, interpolating a background noise curve, determining the actual acoustic event points, and calculating the area under each actual acoustic event point.

Abstract: A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

Abstract: A cutting table includes a cutting surface, an opposing surface, a cutting table outer wall, and one or more slots. The cutting table outer wall extends from the circumference of the opposing surface to the circumference of the cutting surface. The slots extend from a portion of the cutting surface to a portion of the cutting table outer wall. The cutting table is leached to form a thermally stable cutting table. One or more slots are positioned in parallel with at least another slot in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the slots are positioned circumferentially around the cutting surface. In some embodiments, at least one slot is backfilled with a backfilling material to increase heat transfer or impact resistance. In some embodiments, the cutting table is coupled to a substrate to form a cutter. The slots are formed either after or during the formation of the cutting table.

Abstract: A short matrix drill bit is disclosed along with methods of manufacturing the same. The Short drill matrix bit includes a combination shank/blank bonded to a matrix. The combination shank/blank includes a blank portion and a shank portion, which are formed as a unitary component. The combination shank and blank may also include an outer layer formed along at least a portion of the combination shank/blank. In some instances, the outer layer is nickel plating, or some other suitable material, which facilitates wetting of the binder material used to form the matrix.

Abstract: A method to leach a component that includes a polycrystalline structure. The method includes obtaining the component having the polycrystalline structure. The polycrystalline structure includes catalyst material deposited therein. The method also includes performing a leaching process on the polycrystalline structure to an intermediate leaching depth. The leaching process removes at least a portion of the catalyst material from the polycrystalline structure and forms one or more by-product materials deposited therein. The method also includes performing a cleaning process on the polycrystalline structure, which removes at least a portion of the by-product materials. The leaching process and the cleaning process are iteratively continued until the intermediate leaching depth reaches a desired leaching depth, both of which are measured from one end of the polycrystalline structure. The desired leaching depth is greater than at least one intermediate leaching depth.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing a downhole tool. The cemented matrix material is formed from a metal powder, a shoulder powder, and a binder material, wherein the metal powder and/or the shoulder powder includes at least one of stainless steel powder, nickel powder, cobalt powder, iron powder, or powders of other suitable metals or alloys, or a combination of such mentioned powders.

Abstract: A cleaned component having a polycrystalline structure, a method and apparatus for cleaning a leached component to form the cleaned component, and a method for determining the effectiveness of cleaning the leached component. The cleaned component includes a leached layer that has at least a portion of by-product materials removed. The by-product materials were deposited into the leached layer during a leaching process that formed the leached layer. The apparatus and method for cleaning includes a tank, a cleaning fluid placed within the tank, and at least a portion of the leached layer immersed into the cleaning fluid. Optionally, a transducer emits ultrasonic waves into the leached layer. The method for determining the effectiveness of cleaning includes cleaning the leached component to form the cleaned component, measuring one or more capacitance values of the cleaned component, repeating the cleaning and the measuring until achieving a stable lower limit capacitance value.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for testing properties of a rock formation surrounding a wellbore in situ. The apparatus includes a tool body, one or more indenters, and one or more acoustic sensors. The body includes an outer surface that defines one or more cavities therein. Each cavity extends into the body. Each indenter is positioned within a corresponding cavity and is positionable into an operating position and a non-operating position. The acoustic sensor is positioned within the cavity and adjacent to the indenter. The indenter is positioned at least partially beyond the outer surface when in the operating position. The acoustic sensor senses one or more acoustic events occurring when the indenter is in the operating position. The apparatus is inserted into the wellbore. Once inserted, the indenter applies a load onto the rock formation causing cracking and the sensor receives the generated acoustic transmissions. The transmissions are analyzed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and techniques for determining wear abrasion resistance of superhard components, such as cutters used in down-hole drilling tools. The methods and techniques provided herein produce an efficiency ratio of a superhard component through data obtained from a vertical turret lathe test. The efficiency ratio is the ratio between the volume of a target cylinder removed by the superhard component during the vertical turret lathe test and the normal force applied onto the superhard component by the target cylinder. The efficiency ratio is indicative of the energy efficiency of the superhard component.

Abstract: A cutting table includes a cutting surface, an opposing surface, a cutting table outer wall, and one or more fins. The cutting table outer wall extends from the circumference of the opposing surface to the circumference of the cutting surface. The fins extend from a portion of the cutting surface to a portion of the cutting table outer wall. The cutting table is optionally leached prior to forming the fins. One or more fins are positioned in parallel with at least another fin in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the fins are positioned circumferentially around the cutting surface. In some embodiments, the cutting table is coupled to a substrate to form a cutter. The fins are formed either after or during the formation of the cutting table.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a quality of a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter includes obtaining a PDC cutter that includes a leached layer and an unleached layer. The unleached layer is positioned adjacent to the leached layer, and the leached layer has at least a portion of a catalyst material removed from therein. The method further includes measuring capacitance values of the PDC cutter at multiple frequencies of an electrical signal provided to the PDC cutter by a capacitance measuring device to measure the capacitance values of the PDC cutter. The method also includes characterizing a quality of the PDC cutter based on a lowest capacitance value from among the capacitance values. Each capacitance value of the capacitance values is measured at a respective frequency of the multiple frequencies of the electrical signal.

Abstract: A repaired polycrystalline diamond cutter and method for fabricating the same. The cutter includes a damaged substrate that includes at least one void therein, a polycrystalline diamond table coupled to the damaged substrate, and a paste compound disposed within the voids formed about the damaged substrate. The damaged substrate and the paste compound collectively form a full circumference. The method includes obtaining a damaged cutter that includes a polycrystalline diamond table coupled to a damaged substrate having at least one void formed therein, applying a paste compound within the at least one void, melting the paste compound via induction heating, bonding the paste compound to the substrate and forming a processed PDC cutter, and grinding at least a portion of the paste compound from the processed PDC cutter to form the repaired cutter.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing a downhole tool that reduces failures occurring along a bondline between a cemented matrix coupled around a blank. The cemented matrix material is formed from a tungsten carbide powder, a shoulder powder, and a binder material, wherein at least one of the tungsten carbide powder or the shoulder powder is absent of any free tungsten. The blank, which optionally may be coated, is substantially cylindrically shaped and defines a channel extending from a top portion and through a bottom portion of the blank. The absence of free tungsten from at least one of the tungsten carbide powder or the shoulder powder reduces the reaction with iron from the blank, thereby allowing the control and reduction of intermetallic compounds thickness within the bondline.

Abstract: PCD inserts comprise a PCD body having multiple FG-PCD regions with decreasing diamond content moving from a body outer surface to a metallic substrate. The diamond content changes in gradient fashion by changing metal binder content. A region adjacent the outer surface comprises 5 to 20 percent by weight metal binder, and a region remote from the surface comprises 15 to 40 percent by weight metal binder. One or more transition regions are interposed between the PCD body and substrate. The transition region comprises PCD, binder metal, and a carbide, comprises a metal binder content less than that present in the PCD body region positioned next to it.

Abstract: A cutting element that includes a substrate; and an outer layer of polycrystalline diamond material disposed upon the outermost end of the cutting element, wherein the polycrystalline diamond material: a plurality of interconnected diamond particles; and a plurality of interstitial regions disposed among the bonded diamond particles, wherein the plurality of interstitial regions contain a plurality of metal carbide phases and a plurality of metal binder phases together forming a plurality of metallic phases, wherein the plurality of metal carbide phases are formed from a plurality of metal carbide particles; wherein the plurality of interconnected diamond particles form at least about 60 to at most about 85% by weight of the polycrystalline diamond material; and wherein the plurality of metal carbide phases represent at least 35% by weight of the plurality of metallic phases is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for non-destructively determining the wear resistance of an ultra-hard polycrystalline structure after being coupled to a downhole tool using capacitance measurements. The apparatus includes a capacitance measuring device having a positive and negative terminal, a leached component comprising a polycrystalline structure that has been coupled to a downhole tool, a first wire, and a second wire. The first wire electrically couples the positive terminal to a surface of the leached component and the second wire electrically couples the negative terminal to a surface of the downhole tool. The capacitance is measured for the leached component one or more times and compared to a calibration curve that shows a relationship between capacitance values and wear resistance, thereby allowing determination of an estimated wear resistance for the polycrystalline structure.

Abstract: A repaired polycrystalline diamond cutter and method for fabricating the same. The cutter includes a damaged substrate that includes at least one void therein, a polycrystalline diamond table coupled to the damaged substrate, and a build-up compound disposed within the voids formed about the damaged substrate. The damaged substrate and the build-up compound collectively form a full circumference. The method includes obtaining a damaged cutter that includes a polycrystalline diamond table coupled to a damaged substrate having at least one void formed therein, bonding a build-up compound within the at least one void and forming a processed PDC cutter, and removing a portion of the build-up compound from the processed PDC cutter and forming the repaired cutter.

Abstract: A mixture for fabricating a cutting table, the cutting table, and a method of fabricating the cutting table. The mixture includes a cutting table powder and a binder. The binder includes at least one carbide formed from an element selected from at least one of Groups IV, V, and VI of the Periodic Table. The carbide is in its non-stoichiometric and/or stoichiometric form. The binder can include the element. In certain embodiments, the binder includes one or more of the cutting table powder and a catalyst. The cutting table is formed by sintering the mixture using a solid phase sintering process or a near solid phase sintering process. When forming or coupling the cutting table to a substrate, a divider is positioned and coupled therebetween to ensure that the sintering process that forms the cutting table occurs using the solid phase sintering process or the near solid phase sintering process.

Abstract: A thermally stable polycrystalline diamond cutter and method for fabricating the same. The cutter includes a substrate and a cutting table bonded thereto. The cutting table includes a cutting surface, a first beveled edge, a second beveled edge, a side surface, and an opposing surface that is adjacent to the substrate. The first beveled edge extends outwardly at a first angle from the cutting surface towards the substrate. The second beveled edge extends outwardly at a second angle from the first beveled edge towards the substrate. The side surface extends from the second beveled edge to the opposing surface. The cutting table is formed from a polycrystalline diamond structure having interstitial spaces disposed therebetween and a catalyst material disposed within the spaces in an untreated layer and not within a treated layer. The untreated layer includes the entire side surface.