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: The invention relates to method of depositing refractory metal carbide onto part of a surface of a body comprising diamond, the method including adhering directly onto part of the surface a refractory precursor material comprising a compound including oxygen and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W; the refractory precursor material being reducible in the presence of carbon on the application of heat to form at least one compound comprising metal carbide or mixed metal carbide; and reducing the refractory precursor material by the application of heat. The invention further relates to a body comprising diamond, part of the surface of the body having directly adhered thereto a metal carbide and part of the surface of the body having directly adhered thereto a metallic material and the content of diamond being greater than 80 volume percent of a volume of the body.

Abstract: A method for making polycrystalline diamond material comprises providing a plurality of diamond particles or grains, coating the diamond particles or grains with a binder material comprising a non-metallic catalyst material for diamond, consolidating the coated diamond particles or grains to form a green body, and subjecting the green body to a temperature and pressure at which diamond is thermodynamically stable, sintering and forming polycrystalline diamond material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacture of diamond, the method including the steps of providing a first coating of solvent metal or solvent metal alloy on a diamond seed to create a coated diamond seed, situating the coated diamond seed adjacent a catalyst system comprising a solvent metal and/or a source of carbon, and subjecting the coated diamond seed and catalyst system to increased temperature wherein the melting point of the first coating is at least 20 deg C. below that of the catalyst system. The invention further relates to a compact comprising a plurality of diamond seeds wherein at least one seed includes a first coating comprising a solvent metal and/or solvent metal based alloy, the compact further comprising a catalyst system comprising a solvent metal and/or a source of carbon wherein the melting point of the first coating is at least 20 deg C. below that of the catalyst system.

Abstract: The invention provides for an ultra hard or hard composite material comprising a primary ultra hard or hard particulate material and at least one secondary ultra hard or hard particulate material dispersed in a matrix material. The primary ultra hard or hard particulate material has a thermal expansion coefficient lower than that of the matrix material and the at least one secondary ultra hard or hard particulate material has a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the matrix material.

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 for making polycrystalline diamond material comprises providing a plurality of diamond particles or grains, coating the diamond particles or grains with a binder material comprising a non-metallic catalyst material for diamond, consolidating the coated diamond particles or grains to form a green body, and subjecting the green body to a temperature and pressure at which diamond is thermodynamically stable, sintering and forming polycrystalline diamond material.

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 invention relates to method of depositing refractory metal carbide onto part of a surface of a body comprising diamond, the method including adhering directly onto part of the surface a refractory precursor material comprising a compound including oxygen and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W; the refractory precursor material being reducible in the presence of carbon on the application of heat to form at least one compound comprising metal carbide or mixed metal carbide; and reducing the refractory precursor material by the application of heat. The invention further relates to a body comprising diamond, part of the surface of the body having directly adhered thereto a metal carbide and part of the surface of the body having directly adhered thereto a metallic material and the content of diamond being greater than 80 volume percent of a volume of the body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polycrystalline diamond (PCD) comprising diamond in granular form, the diamond grains forming a bonded skeletal mass having a network of internal surfaces, the internal surfaces defining interstices or interstitial regions within the skeletal mass, wherein part of the internal surfaces is bonded to a refractory material, part of the internal surfaces is not bonded to refractory material and part of the internal surfaces is bonded to a sintering aid material as well as to a method of making such PCD.

Abstract: The invention provides for an ultra hard or hard composite material comprising a primary ultra hard or hard particulate material and at least one secondary ultra hard or hard particulate material dispersed in a matrix material. The primary ultra hard or hard particulate material has a thermal expansion coefficient lower than that of the matrix material and the at least one secondary ultra hard or hard particulate material has a thermal expansion coefficient greater than that of the matrix material.

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: The invention relates to a method for manufacture of diamond, the method including the steps of providing a first coating of solvent metal or solvent metal alloy on a diamond seed to create a coated diamond seed, situating the coated diamond seed adjacent a catalyst system comprising a solvent metal and/or a source of carbon, and subjecting the coated diamond seed and catalyst system to increased temperature wherein the melting point of the first coating is at least 20 deg C. below that of the catalyst system. The invention further relates to a compact comprising a plurality of diamond seeds wherein at least one seed includes a first coating comprising a solvent metal and/or solvent metal based alloy, the compact further comprising a catalyst system comprising a solvent metal and/or a source of carbon wherein the melting point of the first coating is at least 20 deg C. below that of the catalyst system.

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.