Patents by Inventor Yahua Bao

Yahua Bao 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: 10239273
    Abstract: HPHT press system includes a thermal insulation layer. The thermal insulation layer includes CsCl, CsBr, CsI, or a combination thereof, and the thermal insulation layer is electrically insulating. The thermal insulation layer may include a thermal insulation sleeve and/or a thermal insulation button for an HPHT cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, J. Daniel Belnap, Stewart N. Middlemiss
  • Patent number: 10166655
    Abstract: A method for making a carbonate polycrystalline diamond body includes combining a first quantity of diamond with a first quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a first layer for forming a working surface, and combining a second quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a second layer adjacent to the first layer, forming an assembly. The method includes placing a quantity of silicon or aluminum in or adjacent to at least a portion of the assembly and sintering the assembly including the silicon or aluminum at high pressure and high temperature, causing the silicon or aluminum to infiltrate at least one layer of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventor: Yahua Bao
  • Publication number: 20180371844
    Abstract: A cutting bit includes a body, a plurality of blades, and at least one ultrahard insert cast directly into at least one of the plurality of blades. The ultrahard insert is positioned with a rear face directly contacting the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, John Daniel Belnap
  • Publication number: 20180363383
    Abstract: A cutting element may include: a substrate; and an ultrahard layer on the substrate, the ultrahard layer having a non-planar working surface, the non-planar working surface being formed from a first region and a second region, the first region, encompassing at least a cutting edge or tip of the cutting element and having a differing composition than the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Yi Fang, Haibo Zhang, John Daniel Belnap, Youhe Zhang
  • Publication number: 20180363384
    Abstract: A cutting device for use in a drill bit has a body including an ultrahard material. The body has a top surface, a front surface, and at least one lateral surface adjacent the top surface. The lateral surface is oriented at a surface angle relative to the top surface between 30 and 150 degrees. One or more locking features are located on the lateral surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, John Daniel Belnap, Gregory Caron, Feng Yu, Cheng Peng, Michael David France, John Parker, Anatoliy Garan
  • Publication number: 20180305598
    Abstract: A polycrystalline diamond construction may be made by subjecting diamond grains to a high pressure/high temperature condition in the presence of a catalyst material to form a polycrystalline diamond material comprising a matrix phase of bonded together diamond grains and interstitial regions disposed between the diamond grains including the catalyst material, treating the polycrystalline diamond material to remove the catalyst material therefrom to form a diamond body that is substantially free of the catalyst material, and attaching a substrate to the diamond body with a layer of eruption minimization material having a thickness from about 2 ?m to 8 ?m on at least one attachment interface surface of the substrate and/or diamond body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Guojiang Fan, Yahua Bao, Jeffrey Bruce Lund
  • Patent number: 10105824
    Abstract: A method for treating a polycrystalline diamond material includes subjecting the polycrystalline diamond material to a leaching process and to a thermal decomposition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, J. Daniel Belnap, Liang Zhao
  • Patent number: 10046441
    Abstract: A method of forming a cutting element may include subjecting a first press containing at least a diamond powder-containing container and a volume of a high melting temperature non-reactive material to a first high pressure high temperature sintering condition to form a sintered polycrystalline diamond wafer including a diamond matrix of diamond grains bonded together and a plurality of interstitial spaces between the bonded together diamond grains; and subjecting a second press containing the sintered polycrystalline diamond wafer and a substrate to a second high temperature high pressure condition, thereby attaching the wafer to the substrate to form a cutting element having a polycrystalline diamond layer on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Ronald K. Eyre
  • Publication number: 20180169987
    Abstract: HPHT press system includes a thermal insulation layer. The thermal insulation layer includes CsCl, CsBr, CsI, or a combination thereof, and the thermal insulation layer is electrically insulating. The thermal insulation layer may include a thermal insulation sleeve and/or a thermal insulation button for an HPHT cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, J. Daniel Belnap, Stewart N. Middlemiss
  • Patent number: 10000852
    Abstract: A method of forming a metal deposit on an ultra-hard material. In an embodiment, the method includes providing a plurality of ultra-hard particles, mixing the ultra-hard particles in a solution with a metal salt, drying the solution to create a mixture of metal salt particles adhered to surfaces of the ultra-hard particles, heating the mixture to convert the metal salt particles into metal deposits on the surfaces of the ultra-hard particles, and HTHP sintering the mixture of ultra-hard particles with the metal deposits to form a polycrystalline ultra-hard material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Qingyuan Liu, Feng Yu, Charles J Claunch
  • Publication number: 20180044764
    Abstract: A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond cutting element includes assembling a diamond material, a substrate, and a source of catalyst material or infiltrant material distinct from the substrate, the source of catalyst material or infiltrant material being adjacent to the diamond material to form an assembly. The substrate includes an attachment material including a refractory metal. The assembly is subjected to a first high-pressure/high temperature condition to cause the catalyst material or infiltrant material to melt and infiltrate into the diamond material and subjected to a second high-pressure/high temperature condition to cause the attachment material to melt and infiltrate a portion of the infiltrated diamond material to bond the infiltrated diamond material to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Fulong Wang, J. Daniel Belnap, Ronald K. Eyre, Yi Fang
  • Publication number: 20170341147
    Abstract: A method of making a polycrystalline diamond compact includes forming a first layer of polycrystalline diamond precursor materials comprising diamond particles and a first concentration of catalyst, forming a second layer of polycrystalline diamond precursor materials comprising diamond particles and a second concentration of catalyst, and placing a layer of an infiltrant material in the proximity of the first or the second layer of polycrystalline diamond precursor materials. The second concentration of catalyst is greater than the first concentration of catalyst. The infiltrant material is a catalyst. The first layer and the second layer are sintered under high-pressure high-temperature conditions in the presence of the infiltrant material to form the polycrystalline diamond compact. At least a portion of the catalyst is leached from the polycrystalline diamond compact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventor: Yahua Bao
  • Patent number: 9670100
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the formation of polycrystalline diamond materials with fine diamond grains and nano-sized particles of a grain growth inhibitor. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a polycrystalline diamond material is provided. The method includes providing a mixture of diamond particles with an average particle size of about 1 micron or less, distributing a plurality of nano-sized titanium-containing particles with the diamond mixture, to act as a grain growth inhibitor, and sintering the mixture of diamond particles and titanium-containing particles at high pressure and high temperature to create a polycrystalline structure of sintered diamond grains. The sintered diamond grains have an average size of about 1 micron or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Element Six Limited
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Xian Yao, Scott Horman
  • Publication number: 20170144273
    Abstract: A method for making a carbonate polycrystalline diamond body includes combining a first quantity of diamond with a first quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a first layer for forming a working surface, and combining a second quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a second layer adjacent to the first layer, forming an assembly. The method includes placing a quantity of silicon or aluminum in or adjacent to at least a portion of the assembly and sintering the assembly including the silicon or aluminum at high pressure and high temperature, causing the silicon or aluminum to infiltrate at least one layer of the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventor: YAHUA BAO
  • Publication number: 20170122038
    Abstract: A method of making a polycrystalline diamond compact includes forming multiple layers of premixed diamond particles and carbonate material, where the carbonate material includes an alkaline earth metal carbonate, and where each layer has a weight percent ratio of diamond to carbonate that is different from adjacent layers. The layers are subjected to high pressure high temperature conditions to form polycrystalline diamond.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Anatoliy Garan, Michael David France, John Daniel Belnap
  • Publication number: 20170095906
    Abstract: A polycrystalline diamond body, and a method for making a carbonate polycrystalline diamond body includes combining a first quantity of diamond particles with a first quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a first layer in an enclosure, the first layer having a working surface, and placing a second quantity of magnesium carbonate in the enclosure forming a second layer, the first layer and the second layer forming an assembly. A quantity of at least one of silicon or aluminum is mixed in with or placed adjacent to at least one of the first layer or the second layer. The assembly, including the at least one of silicon or aluminum, is sintered at high pressure and high temperature, causing the at least one of silicon or aluminum to infiltrate at least one layer of the assembly, forming a polycrystalline diamond body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventor: YAHUA BAO
  • Patent number: 9586376
    Abstract: A high-pressure high-temperature cell including two or more thermal insulation layers is described. A high-pressure high-temperature cell including a current path through a thermal insulation layer, the current path being electrically connected to a heating element and having an indirect path through the thermal insulation layer, is also described. High-pressure high-temperature press systems including the foregoing high-pressure high-temperature cells alone or in combination are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Stewart N. Middlemiss, Yahua Bao, Lan Carter
  • Patent number: 9539703
    Abstract: A method for making a carbonate polycrystalline diamond body includes combining a first quantity of diamond with a first quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a first layer for forming a working surface, and combining a second quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a second layer adjacent to the first layer, forming an assembly. The method includes placing a quantity of silicon or aluminum in or adjacent to at least a portion of the assembly and sintering the assembly including the silicon or aluminum at high pressure and high temperature, causing the silicon or aluminum to infiltrate at least one layer of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventor: Yahua Bao
  • Patent number: 9539704
    Abstract: A polycrystalline diamond body, and a method for making a carbonate polycrystalline diamond body includes combining a first quantity of diamond particles with a first quantity of magnesium carbonate to form a first layer in an enclosure, the first layer having a working surface, and placing a second quantity of magnesium carbonate in the enclosure forming a second layer, the first layer and the second layer forming an assembly. A quantity of at least one of silicon or aluminum is mixed in with or placed adjacent to at least one of the first layer or the second layer. The assembly, including the at least one of silicon or aluminum, is sintered at high pressure and high temperature, causing the at least one of silicon or aluminum to infiltrate at least one layer of the assembly, forming a polycrystalline diamond body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventor: Yahua Bao
  • Patent number: 9475176
    Abstract: A method of making a polycrystalline diamond compact includes forming multiple layers of premised diamond particles and carbonate material, where the carbonate material includes an alkaline earth metal, carbonate, and where each layer has a weight percent ratio of diamond to carbonate that is different from adjacent layers. The layers are subjected to high pressure high temperature conditions to form polycrystalline diamond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yahua Bao, Anatoliy Garan, Michael David France, J. Daniel Belnap