Cutting elements including binder materials having modulated morphologies, earth-boring tools including such cutting elements, and related methods of making and using same

Abstract

A method of forming a cutting element includes providing a supporting substrate including a homogenized binder including Co, Al, C, and one or more of Ni and Re, depositing discrete diamond particles directly on the supporting substrate, sintering the supporting substrate and the discrete diamond particles to a temperature of about 1350° C. or greater under a pressure of about 5 GPa or greater to diffuse a portion of the homogenized binder into the discrete diamond particles and inter-bond the discrete diamond particles to form a cutting table attached to the supporting substrate, and converting portions of the homogenized binder into intermetallic phase precipitates including one or more of Ni and Re and metallic phase precipitates. Related cutting elements, earth-boring tools including such cutting elements, and methods are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming a cutting element, the method comprising:
 providing a supporting substrate comprising a homogenized binder comprising Co, Al, C, and one or more of Ni and Re;   depositing discrete diamond particles directly on the supporting substrate;   sintering the supporting substrate and the discrete diamond particles to a temperature of about 1350° C. or greater under a pressure of about 5 GPa or greater to diffuse a portion of the homogenized binder into the discrete diamond particles and inter-bond the discrete diamond particles to form a cutting table attached to the supporting substrate; and   converting portions of the homogenized binder into intermetallic phase precipitates comprising one or more of Ni and Re and metallic phase precipitates.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the homogenized binder comprises Co, Al, C, Ni, and Re. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic phase precipitates comprise Re. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein converting the portions of the homogenized binder into intermetallic phase precipitates comprising one or more of Ni and Re and metallic phase precipitates comprises forming one or more of lamellae plates and dispersed precipitates. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein forming one or more of lamellae plates and dispersed precipitates comprises forming alternating lamellae plates of the intermetallic phase precipitates and the metallic phase precipitates. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein forming one or more of lamellae plates and dispersed precipitates comprises forming a mixture of lamellae plates of the intermetallic phase precipitates, lamellae plates of the metallic phase precipitates, dispersed intermetallic phase precipitates, and dispersed metallic phase precipitates. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein converting the portions of the homogenized binder into intermetallic phase precipitates comprising one or more of Ni and Re and metallic phase precipitates comprises simultaneously forming the intermetallic phase precipitates and the metallic phase precipitates. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sintering the supporting substrate and the discrete diamond particles comprises sintering the supporting substrate and the discrete diamond particles under a pressure within a range of from about 5.0 GPa to about 9.0 GPa. 
     
     
         9 . A cutting element for an earth-boring tool, comprising:
 a cutting table comprising inter-bonded diamond particles and a binder material within interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond particles, the binder material comprising Co, Al, C, and one or more of Ni and Re; and   a supporting substrate attached to the cutting table,   wherein the binder material comprises a mixture of intermetallic phase precipitates and metallic phase precipitates.   
     
     
         10 . The cutting element of  claim 9 , wherein the binder material comprises Co, Al, Co, Ni, and Re. 
     
     
         11 . The cutting element of  claim 9 , wherein the intermetallic phase precipitates comprise Co(X) 3 Al(Y)C x  precipitates, where x is between 0.25 and 1, X comprises at least one element formulated to occupy a site of Co, and Y comprises at least one element formulated to occupy a site of Al. 
     
     
         12 . The cutting element of  claim 11 , wherein X comprises Ni and Y comprises Re. 
     
     
         13 . The cutting element of  claim 9 , wherein the metallic phase precipitates comprise Re. 
     
     
         14 . The cutting element of  claim 9 , wherein the binder material comprises alternating lamellae plates of the intermetallic phase precipitates and metallic phase precipitates. 
     
     
         15 . The cutting element of  claim 9 , wherein the binder material comprises lamellae plates of the intermetallic phase precipitates and metallic phase precipitates, dispersed intermetallic phase precipitates, and dispersed metallic phase precipitates. 
     
     
         16 . An earth-boring tool, comprising:
 a tool body; and   a cutting element according to  claim 9  secured to the tool body.   
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a cutting element, the method comprising:
 forming a supporting substrate comprising a carbide material dispersed within a homogenized binder comprising Co, Al, C, and one or more of Ni and Re;   depositing discrete diamond particles on the supporting substrate;   sintering the supporting substrate and the discrete diamond particles to a temperature greater than a solidus temperature of the homogenized binder under a pressure of about 5 GPa or greater to diffuse a portion of the homogenized binder into the discrete diamond particles and inter-bond the discrete diamond particles to form a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) attached to the supporting substrate; and   simultaneously converting portions of the homogenized binder into intermetallic phase precipitates and metallic phase precipitates.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein simultaneously converting portions of the homogenized binder into the intermetallic phase precipitates and the metallic phase precipitates comprises forming lamellae plates of the intermetallic phase precipitates and the metallic phase precipitates. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein forming the lamellae plates of the intermetallic phase precipitates and the metallic phase precipitates comprises forming the lamellae plates to exhibit a thickness less than a grain size of the discrete diamond particles and less than a grain size of the carbide material of the supporting substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising leaching at least a portion of the intermetallic phase precipitates and the metallic phase precipitates out of at least a portion of the PDC proximate an exposed exterior surface of the PDC.