Abstract: There is disclosed herein a method of designing a mold, the mold being at least part of a unitary body to be formed from a plurality of layers by 3D printing, the method including defining an inner surface of the mold corresponding to at least part of an outer surface of an object to be molded in the mold; selecting a first material from which at least part of the mold is to be printed; and selecting a second material from which at least another part of the mold is to be printed, the second material having a higher thermal and/or electrical conductivity than the first material, wherein at least one of the layers from which the mold is to be formed by 3D printing includes areas to be printed from each of the first and second materials.

Abstract: A mold transfer assembly includes a transfer housing providing an interior defined by one or more sidewalls and a top. The transfer housing is sized to receive and encapsulate a mold as the mold is moved between a furnace and a thermal heat sink. An arm is coupled to the transfer housing to move the transfer housing and the mold encapsulated within the transfer housing between the furnace and a thermal heat sink. The transfer housing exhibits one or more thermal properties to control a thermal profile of the mold.

Abstract: The microstructure of braze joints in polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters may be tailored to increase the shear strength of the braze joint, for example, by increasing the amount of a dispersed particulate microstructure therein. A method for forming a dispersed particulate microstructure may include brazing a polycrystalline diamond table to a hard composite substrate with a braze alloy at a braze temperature between 5° C. above a solidus temperature of the braze alloy and 200° C. above a liquidus temperature of the braze alloy; and forming a braze joint between the polycrystalline diamond table and the hard composite substrate that comprises at least 40% by volume of the dispersed particulate microstructure composed of a particulate inter-metallic phase having a diameter of 0.5 ?m to 2.0 ?m and an aspect ratio of 1 to 5 dispersed in a ductile matrix.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a rotating superhard cutting element. The rotating cutting element includes a substrate comprising a rotating portion and a stable portion. The stable portion has a cavity and is configured to be fixed to a blade of a drill bit. The rotating cutting element further includes a retainer that rotatably secures the rotating portion of the substrate in the cavity of the stable portion of the substrate, and a cutting layer on the rotating portion of the substrate. The cutting layer has a plurality of cutting surfaces. One of the plurality of cutting surfaces has a property different from another one of the plurality of cutting surfaces. The cutting layer is configured to rotate with respect to the stable portion of the substrate and use one of the plurality of cutting surfaces based on a characteristic of a formation to be cut.

Abstract: A mold transfer assembly includes a transfer housing providing an interior defined by one or more sidewalls and a top. The transfer housing is sized to receive and encapsulate a mold as the mold is moved between a furnace and a thermal heat sink. An arm is coupled to the transfer housing to move the transfer housing and the mold encapsulated within the transfer housing between the furnace and a thermal heat sink. The transfer housing exhibits one or more thermal properties to control a thermal profile of the mold.

Abstract: Cutting elements and other hardfacing components of a drill bit or other downhole equipment are provided that include a thermally stable polycrystalline material anodically bonded to a substrate. Methods and systems for making such elements and components are also provided.

Abstract: Bonding polycrystalline diamond compacts to hard composite substrates to produce polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters may be achieved with a partial transient liquid-phase (PTLP) bonding method that uses lower temperatures than comparable brazing methods. For example, an interlayer bonding structure may be positioned between a polycrystalline diamond compact and a hard composite substrate and heated to a bonding temperature to achieve the PTLP bonding between the polycrystalline diamond compact and the hard composite substrate. An exemplary interlayer bonding structure includes a refractory layer between two outer layers.

Abstract: An example polycrystalline diamond compact includes a substrate and a diamond table attached to the substrate. A multilayer joint interposes the substrate and the diamond table and comprises at least two component parts selected from the group consisting of a base layer, one or more intermediate layers, and a braze layer. The at least two component parts are formed via a thin film deposition process.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates a spark plasma sintered polycrystalline diamond and methods of spark plasma sintering leached polycrystalline diamond. Spark plasma sintering produces plasma from a reactant gas found in the pores left by catalyst removal from leached polycrystalline diamond. The plasma forms diamond bonds and/or carbide structures in the pores, which may produce polycrystalline diamond that is has a higher impact strength than the leached polycrystalline diamond or other improved properties.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to polycrystalline diamond covalently bonded to a substrate by spark plasma sintering and methods of covalently bonding polycrystalline diamond and a substrate. Spark plasma sintering produces plasma from a reactant gas found in the pores in the polycrystalline diamond and, optionally, also the substrate. The plasma forms carbide structures in the pores, which covalently bond to the substrate.

Abstract: A PCD cutter formed by a reactive/exothermic bond formed between the diamond table and the substrate. The bond is formed by applying a small pulse of localized energy to a bonding agent containing exothermic reactive materials which is disposed at the interface of the diamond table and the substrate. The bonding agent may be formed by depositing a plurality of alternating layers of exothermic foils at the interface between the polycrystalline diamond table and the substrate. Additional layers may also be deposited between the polycrystalline diamond table and the plurality of layers of exothermic foils and between the foils and the substrate. One or more refractory layers may also be disposed between the layers of exothermic material and a masking or non-wetting material may be applied to one or more sides of the substrate and diamond table.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates a method of purifying diamond by removing carbon contaminants from diamond grains in the diamond by a plasma cleaning process at a temperature at which metal inclusion contaminants in the diamond grains crack the diamond grains from within, and removing metal contaminants from the diamond in a chemical or electrochemical cleaning process.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a rotary drill bit includes forming a mold having an inner surface and an outer surface, locating a metal mandrel within the mold, packing the mold around at least part of the mandrel with particulate matrix-forming material and installing an insulating material around at least an upper portion of the outer surface. The material is infiltrated in a furnace with a molten binding alloy and the mold including the insulating material is removed from the furnace, directionally solidifying the material and binding alloy in portion of the bit, wherein the directional solidification proceeds from the lower portion of the outer surface in an upward and outward direction to form a solid infiltrated matrix bonded to the mandrel by cooling of the mold with the insulating material disposed around at least the upper portion of the outer surface of the mold.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) including a gradient interfacial layer between a thermally stable diamond (TSP) table and a base, such as a substrate or an earth-boring drill bit body. The gradient interfacial layer has a gradient of coefficients of thermal expansion between that of the diamond and the base. The disclosure also relates to methods of forming a gradient interfacial layer and a PDC containing such a layer.

Abstract: An example insulation enclosure includes a support structure having at least an inner frame and providing a top end, a bottom end, and an opening defined in the bottom end for receiving a mold within an interior of the support structure, and a radiant barrier positioned within the interior of the support structure, the radiant barrier including a front surface arranged to face the mold and a back surface facing the support structure, wherein the radiant barrier interposes the mold and the support structure to redirect thermal energy radiated from the mold back towards the mold.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a rotating superhard cutting element. The rotating cutting element includes a substrate comprising a rotating portion and a stable portion. The stable portion has a cavity and is configured to be fixed to a blade of a drill bit. The rotating cutting element further includes a retainer that rotatably secures the rotating portion of the substrate in the cavity of the stable portion of the substrate, and a cutting layer on the rotating portion of the substrate. The cutting layer has a plurality of cutting surfaces. One of the plurality of cutting surfaces has a property different from another one of the plurality of cutting surfaces. The cutting layer is configured to rotate with respect to the stable portion of the substrate and use one of the plurality of cutting surfaces based on a characteristic of a formation to be cut.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein a method of molding an object by infiltrating a matrix material with an infiltration material, the method including providing first and second zones of respective different first and second matrix materials arranged substantially adjacent to each other in a mold, including forming a transition region between the two zones through which the composition of the material in the transition region is gradually varied from the composition of the first matrix material adjacent the first zone to the composition of the second matrix material near the second zone.

Abstract: The microstructure of braze joints in polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters may be tailored to increase the shear strength of the braze joint, for example, by increasing the amount of a dispersed particulate microstructure therein. A method for forming a dispersed particulate microstructure may include brazing a polycrystalline diamond table to a hard composite substrate with a braze alloy at a braze temperature between 5° C. above a solidus temperature of the braze alloy and 200° C. above a liquidus temperature of the braze alloy; and forming a braze joint between the polycrystalline diamond table and the hard composite substrate that comprises at least 40% by volume of the dispersed particulate microstructure composed of a particulate inter-metallic phase having a diameter of 0.5 ?m to 2.0 ?m and an aspect ratio of 1 to 5 dispersed in a ductile matrix.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a spark plasma sintering-joined polycrystalline diamond and methods of joining polycrystalline diamond segments by spark plasma sintering. Spark plasma sintering produces plasma from a reactant gas found in the pores in the polycrystalline diamond segments. The plasma forms diamond bonds and/or carbide structures in the pores, which join the polycrystalline diamond segments to form a polycrystalline diamond element.

Abstract: An example polycrystalline diamond compact includes a substrate and a diamond table attached to the substrate. A multilayer joint interposes the substrate and the diamond table and comprises at least two component parts selected from the group consisting of a base layer, one or more intermediate layers, and a braze layer. The at least two component parts are formed via a thin film deposition process.