Methods of making a polycrystalline diamond compact including a polycrystalline diamond table with a thermally-stable region having at least one low-carbon-solubility material

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) comprising a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table including a thermally-stable region having at least one low-carbon-solubility material disposed interstitially between bonded diamond grains thereof, and methods of fabricating such PDCs. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a substrate, and a PCD table bonded to the substrate. The PCD table includes a plurality of diamond grains exhibiting diamond-to-diamond bonding therebetween and defining a plurality of interstitial regions. The PCD table further includes at least one low-carbon-solubility material disposed in at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions. The at least one low-carbon-solubility material exhibits a melting temperature of about 1300° C. or less and a bulk modulus at 20° C. of less than about 150 GPa.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:
 a substrate; and   a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to the substrate, the polycrystalline diamond table including a plurality of diamond grains exhibiting diamond-to-diamond bonding therebetween and defining a plurality of interstitial regions, at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions including one or more first interstitial materials disposed therein, the one or more first interstitial materials including one or more of a eutectic material or a near eutectic material exhibiting a melting temperature of about 180° C. to about 1300° C.   
     
     
         2 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 1  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material include one or more alloys including at least one of copper, tin, indium, gadolinium, germanium, gold, silver, aluminum, lead, zinc, cadmium, bismuth, or antimony. 
     
     
         3 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 2  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material exhibit a bulk modulus at 20° C. of less than about 150 GPa. 
     
     
         4 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 2  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material exhibit a thermal expansion of about 3×10 −6  per ° C. to about 20×10 −6  per ° C. 
     
     
         5 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 1  wherein the polycrystalline diamond table includes a first region and a second region, the first region including the one or more first interstitial materials therein and being more thermally stable than the second region. 
     
     
         6 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 5  wherein the second region is bonded to the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 5  wherein the first region extends inward from a working surface of the polycrystalline diamond table. 
     
     
         8 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 5  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material is about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of the first region of the polycrystalline diamond table. 
     
     
         9 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 5  wherein the second region includes a second interstitial material that is different from the one or more first interstitial materials. 
     
     
         10 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim of  claim 9  wherein the second interstitial material includes at least one of iron, nickel, or cobalt. 
     
     
         11 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim of  claim 10  wherein the second interstitial material is present in the second region of the polycrystalline diamond table in an amount of about 2.0 weight percent or less. 
     
     
         12 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim of  claim 1  wherein the one or more first interstitial materials includes a metal-solvent catalyst. 
     
     
         13 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim of  claim 12  wherein the metal-solvent catalyst includes at least one of iron, nickel, or cobalt. 
     
     
         14 . A polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:
 a substrate; and   a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to the substrate, the polycrystalline diamond table including a plurality of diamond grains exhibiting diamond-to-diamond bonding therebetween and defining a plurality of interstitial regions, the polycrystalline diamond including a working surface spaced from an interfacial surface, the polycrystalline diamond table including:
 a first region extending inwardly from the interfacial surface, the first region including a first interstitial material located in at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions thereof, the first interstitial material including a metal-solvent catalyst; and 
 a second region extending inwardly from the working surface and exhibiting a generally ring-like geometry encircling a portion of the first region and being spaced from the interfacial surface by a portion of the second region, the second region including one or more second interstitial materials having one or more of a eutectic material or a near eutectic material exhibiting a melting temperature of about 1300° C. or less. 
   
     
     
         15 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 14  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material includes one or more alloys including at least one of copper, tin, indium, gadolinium, germanium, gold, silver, aluminum, lead, zinc, cadmium, bismuth, or antimony. 
     
     
         16 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 14  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material exhibit a bulk modulus at 20° C. of less than about 150 GPa. 
     
     
         17 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 14  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material exhibit a thermal expansion of about 3×10 −6  per ° C. to about 20×10 −6  per ° C. 
     
     
         18 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 14  wherein the second region is more thermally stable than the first region. 
     
     
         19 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 14  wherein the first region is bonded to the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 14  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material is about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of the first region of the polycrystalline diamond table. 
     
     
         21 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of claim of  claim 14  wherein the first interstitial material includes at least one of iron, nickel, or cobalt. 
     
     
         22 . A polycrystalline diamond compact, comprising:
 a substrate; and   a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to the substrate, the polycrystalline diamond table including a plurality of diamond grains exhibiting diamond-to-diamond bonding therebetween and defining a plurality of interstitial regions, at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial regions including one or more first interstitial materials disposed therein, the one or more first interstitial materials including one or more of a eutectic material or a near eutectic material exhibiting a melting temperature of about 180° C. to about 1300° C. and a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 3×10 −6  per ° C. to about 20×10 −6  per ° C.   
     
     
         23 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 22  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material exhibit a bulk modulus at 20° C. of about 30 GPa to 150 GPa. 
     
     
         24 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 22  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material exhibit a bulk modulus at 20° C. of less than about 130 GPa. 
     
     
         25 . The polycrystalline diamond compact of  claim 22  wherein the one or more of the eutectic material or the near eutectic material includes one or more alloys including at least one of copper, tin, indium, gadolinium, germanium, gold, silver, aluminum, lead, zinc, cadmium, bismuth, or antimony.