Polycrystalline diamond compact with sintering aid compound, a compound formed from a sintering aid compound, or a mixture thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) including a substrate and a polycrystalline diamond table including a sintering aid compound, a dissociated non-sintering aid component, a derivative compound, or a mixture thereof and further including dissociated sintering aid. The disclosure further provides an earth-boring drill bit containing a bit body and the PDC in the form of a cutter. The disclosure also provides a method of forming a PDC including placing a substrate and a mixture of diamond grains and a sintering aid compound in a can and performing an HTHP process to form a PDC including the substrate and a polycrystalline diamond table formed from the diamond grains and the sintering aid compound and including the sintering aid compound, a dissociated non-sintering aid component, a derivative compound, or a mixture thereof and dissociated sintering aid.

1 . A polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) comprising:
 a substrate; and   a polycrystalline diamond table including a sintering aid compound, a dissociated non-sintering aid component, a derivative compound, or a mixture thereof and further including dissociated sintering aid.   
     
     
         2 . The PDC of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate does not comprise a sintering aid. 
     
     
         3 . The PDC of  claim 1 , wherein the sintering aid compound comprises a sintering aid component M 1  and a non-sintering aid component M 2 Q and has the general formula M 1   x M 2   y Q p , wherein
 M 1  is a Group VIII metal,   M 2  is a metal,   Q is a non-metal, metalloid, or a combination of at least two non-metals or metalloids,   x>0,   y≥0, p>0, and   x, y and p are such that the sintering aid compound is electroneutral.   
     
     
         4 . The PDC of  claim 1 , wherein the derivative compound is formed from the dissociated non-sintering aid component. 
     
     
         5 . The PDC of  claim 1 , wherein the derivative compound is a metal carbide. 
     
     
         6 . The PDC of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sintering aid compound, dissociated non-sintering aid component, and derivative compound has a linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 5×10 −6 /K or less. 
     
     
         7 . An earth-boring drill bit comprising:
 a bit body; and   a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) in the form of a cutter, the PDC comprising:
 a substrate; and 
 a polycrystalline diamond table including a sintering aid compound, a dissociated non-sintering aid component, a derivative compound, or a mixture thereof and further including dissociated sintering aid. 
   
     
     
         8 . The earth-boring drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate does not comprise a sintering aid. 
     
     
         9 . The earth-boring drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the sintering aid compound comprises a sintering aid component M 1  and a non-sintering aid component M 2 Q and has the general formula M 1   x M 2   y Q p , wherein
 M 1  is a Group VIII metal,   M 2  is a metal other than M 1 ,   Q is a non-metal, metalloid, or a combination of at least two non-metals or metalloids,   x>0,   y≥0, p>0, and   x, y and p are such that the sintering aid compound is electroneutral.   
     
     
         10 . The earth-boring drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the derivative compound is formed from the dissociated non-sintering aid component. 
     
     
         11 . The earth-boring drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein the derivative compound is a metal carbide. 
     
     
         12 . The earth-boring drill bit of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sintering aid compound, dissociated non-sintering aid component, and derivative compound has a linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 5×10 −6 /K or less. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) comprising:
 placing a substrate and a mixture of diamond grains and a sintering aid compound in a can to form a sintering assembly; and   performing a high temperature high pressure (HTHP) process on the sintering assembly to form a PDC including the substrate and a polycrystalline diamond table formed from the diamond grains and the sintering aid compound and including the sintering aid compound, a dissociated non-sintering aid component, a derivative compound, or a mixture thereof and further including dissociated sintering aid.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sintering aid compound is in the form of particles and the mixture of diamond grains and sintering aid compound is homogeneous. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sintering aid compound is in the form of particles having an average largest dimension within 5% of an average largest dimension of the diamond grains. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sintering aid compound dissociates into a sintering aid component and a non-sintering component during the HTHP process, such that the sintering aid component catalyzes the formation of diamond-diamond bonds between the diamond grains. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the sintering aid compound comprises at least two compounds. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of the at least two compounds comprises the same sintering aid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of the at least two compounds comprises a different sintering aid and wherein the sintering aids form an alloy during the HTHP process. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the dissociated non-sintering component reacts with carbon to form a metal carbide derivative compound.