Anti-Balling Drill Bit and Method of Making Same

Abstract

A drill bit for drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation is disclosed. The drill bit includes a bit body having a surface about a working end thereof, ribs extending from the surface of the bit body with channels defined therebetween, cutting elements positionable on the ribs to cuttingly engage the subterranean formation and release cuttings therefrom, and an anti-balling composition. The anti-balling composition includes a hardphase having a chemical potential that is more electronegative than the surface. The anti-balling composition is disposed on a surface of the bit body whereby the cuttings from the wellbore are prevented from collecting on the bit body.

1 . A drill bit for drilling a well bore penetrating a subterranean formation, the drill bit 
       comprising:
 a bit body having a surface about a working end thereof; 
 a plurality of ribs extending from the surface of the bit body with channels defined therebetween; 
 a plurality of cutting elements disposed on the ribs and configured to cuttingly engage the subterranean formation and release cuttings therefrom; and 
 an anti-balling composition disposed on the bit body, wherein the anti-balling composition comprises a first hardphase material and a second hardphase material, wherein the first hardphase material has a chemical potential that is more electronegative than the second hardphase material; 
 wherein the first hardphase material comprises one or more of the group consisting of chromium, tantalum carbides, zirconium carbides, aluminas, chromium carbides, beryllium carbides, titanium carbides, silicon carbides, aluminum borides, and boron carbides; 
 wherein the second hardphase material comprises tungsten carbide. 
 
     
     
         2 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the first hardphase material comprises a chromium carbide. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the first hardphase material comprises Cr, Cr3C2 or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical potential of the first hardphase material is 5% to 75% less than the chemical potential of the second hardphase material. 
     
     
         8 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the second hardphase material has a hardness greater than a hardness of the first hardphase material. 
     
     
         9 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the first hardphase material has a hardness from 900 Pa to 4000 Pa and a hardness of the second hardphase material is between 1500 Pa to 3000 Pa. 
     
     
         10 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the first hardphase material has a kinetic coefficient of friction that is 85% to 95% of the kinetic coefficient of friction of tungsten carbide and the second hardphase material has a kinetic coefficient of friction that is greater than the kinetic coefficient of friction of the first hardphase material. 
     
     
         11 . The drill bit of  claim 10 , wherein the kinetic coefficient of friction of the second hardphase material is 105% to 150% of the kinetic coefficient of friction of the first hardphase material. 
     
     
         12 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second hardphase materials comprise hardphase particles with a tap density of 10.0 g/mL. 
     
     
         13 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second hardphase particles comprise a particle size distribution of 177 μm to 20 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the drill bit is one of a matrix drill bit or an infiltrated drill bit. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-balling composition is disposed along the channels. 
     
     
         18 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-balling composition is formed into the bit body. 
     
     
         19 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-balling composition defines an outer surface of the drill bit, wherein the outer surface has an average surface roughness of less than 4 μm to 10 μm. 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a drill bit for drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 providing a mold having a bit pattern including channel-forming regions defined therein;   providing an anti-balling composition in the channel-forming regions of the mold, wherein the anti-balling composition comprises a first hardphase material and a second hardphase material, wherein the first hardphase material has a chemical potential that is more electronegative than the second hardphase material;   wherein the first hardphase material comprises one or more of the group consisting of chromium, tantalum carbides, zirconium carbides, aluminas, chromium carbides, beryllium carbides, titanium carbides, silicon carbides, aluminum borides, and boron carbides;   wherein the second hardphase material comprises tungsten carbide;   providing a matrix forming composition;   forming the drill bit by heating the mold; and   removing the mold from the formed drill bit.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising providing an infiltrant in the mold. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the heating comprises heating the mold to between 1040° C. to 1175° C. for 1 to 5 hours. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising polishing the drill bit. 
     
     
         24 . An anti-balling composition for a drill bit for drilling a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation, the anti-balling composition comprising:
 one or more first hardphase materials selected from the group consisting of chromium, tantalum carbides, zirconium carbides, aluminas, chromium carbides, beryllium carbides, titanium carbides, silicon carbides, aluminum borides, and boron carbides; and   a second hardphase material comprising tungsten carbide.   
     
     
         25 . The anti-balling composition of  claim 24 , wherein the first hardphase material comprises Cr, Cr3C2 or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The anti-balling composition of  claim 24 , wherein the first hardphase material has a chemical potential that is more electronegative than a chemical potential of the second hardphase material. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The anti-balling composition of  claim 26 , wherein the composition comprises from greater than 0 to 25 wt % of the second hardphase material and from 75 to less than 100 wt % of the combined one or more of the first hardphase materials, based on the total weights of the first and the second hardphase materials. 
     
     
         29 . The anti-balling composition of  claim 26 , wherein the chemical potential of the first hardphase material is from 5% to 75% less than the chemical potential of the second hardphase material. 
     
     
         30 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-balling composition comprises 50 to 99.5 wt % of the first hardphase material and 0.5 to 50 wt % of the second hardphase material. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first hardphase material comprises Cr, Cr3C2 or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the chemical potential of the first hardphase material is 5% to 75% less than the chemical potential of the second hardphase material. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the second hardphase material has a hardness greater than a hardness of the first hardphase material. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein matrix forming composition includes the second hardphase material. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the anti-balling composition comprises 50 to 99.5 wt % of the first hardphase material and 0.5 to 50 wt % of the second hardphase material.