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 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 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 method, system, and apparatus for non-destructively characterizing one or more regions within an ultra-hard polycrystalline structure using capacitance measurements. The apparatus includes a capacitance measuring device having a positive and negative terminal, a leached component comprising a polycrystalline structure, a first wire, and a second wire. The leached component includes a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first wire electrically couples the positive terminal to one of the surfaces of the leached component and the second wire electrically couples the negative terminal to the other surface of the leached component. The capacitance is measured one or more times and compared to a calibration curve to determine an estimated leaching depth within the polycrystalline structure. A data scattering range is ascertained to determine a relative porosity of the polycrystalline structure or the leaching quality within the polycrystalline structure.

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 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 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 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: 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 coating that includes a polyisocyanate compound and at least one metal inclusion selected from the group consisting of tungsten and tungsten carbide. The metal inclusions range between about five percent by weight to about fifty percent by weight. A downhole tool that includes a body, a shank positioned at one end of the body, at least one cutter coupled to the body, and a coating coupled to at least a portion of one or more of the body or the shank. The coating includes a polyisocyanate compound and at least one metal inclusion selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tungsten carbide, and aluminum. The metal inclusions range between about five percent by weight to about fifty percent by weight. An intermediate coating is optionally disposed between at least a portion of the coating and at least one of the body or the shank.

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 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 coating that includes a polyisocyanate compound and at least one metal inclusion selected from the group consisting of tungsten and tungsten carbide. The metal inclusions range between about five percent by weight to about fifty percent by weight. A downhole tool that includes a body, a shank positioned at one end of the body, at least one cutter coupled to the body, and a coating coupled to at least a portion of one or more of the body or the shank. The coating includes a polyisocyanate compound and at least one metal inclusion selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tungsten carbide, and aluminum. The metal inclusions range between about five percent by weight to about fifty percent by weight. An intermediate coating is optionally disposed between at least a portion of the coating and at least one of the body or the shank.

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 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 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: 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: A method, system, and apparatus for non-destructively characterizing one or more regions within an ultra-hard polycrystalline structure using eddy current measurements. The apparatus includes an eddy current measuring device having at least one terminal, a leached component comprising a polycrystalline structure, a first wire, and a probe. The leached component includes a cutting surface and an opposing second surface. A portion of the polycrystalline structure extending inwardly from the cutting surface has at least a portion of a catalyst material removed from therein. The first wire electrically couples the terminal to the probe, which is placed in contact with the cutting surface. The eddy current is measured one or more times and compared to a calibration curve to determine an estimated leaching depth within the polycrystalline structure. A data scattering range is ascertained to determine a relative porosity of the polycrystalline structure or the leaching quality within the polycrystalline structure.

Abstract: A method for non-destructively characterizing one or more regions within a polycrystalline structure using capacitance and eddy current measurements. The eddy current measurements include at least one of an impedance amplitude and a phase shift angle. The capacitance is measured one or more times and compared to a first calibration curve to determine an estimated leaching depth within the polycrystalline structure. A first data scattering range is ascertained from the capacitance measurements to determine a relative porosity or the leaching quality within the polycrystalline structure. The eddy current is measured one or more times and compared to a second calibration curve to determine an estimated leaching depth within the polycrystalline structure. A second data scattering range is ascertained from the eddy current measurements to determine a relative porosity or the leaching quality within the polycrystalline structure.

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.