WO2017011415A1 - Outils de découpe infiltrés et procédés s'y rapportant - Google Patents

Outils de découpe infiltrés et procédés s'y rapportant Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2017011415A1
WO2017011415A1 PCT/US2016/041810 US2016041810W WO2017011415A1 WO 2017011415 A1 WO2017011415 A1 WO 2017011415A1 US 2016041810 W US2016041810 W US 2016041810W WO 2017011415 A1 WO2017011415 A1 WO 2017011415A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
metallic
starting material
cutting
infiltrant
mill
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PCT/US2016/041810
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English (en)
Inventor
Mingdong CAI
Ashley Bernard Johnson
Jonathan Robert HIRD
Madapusi K. Keshavan
Original Assignee
Schlumberger Technology Corporation
Schlumberger Canada Limited
Services Petroliers Schlumberger
Schlumberger Technology B.V.
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Application filed by Schlumberger Technology Corporation, Schlumberger Canada Limited, Services Petroliers Schlumberger, Schlumberger Technology B.V. filed Critical Schlumberger Technology Corporation
Publication of WO2017011415A1 publication Critical patent/WO2017011415A1/fr

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C29/00—Alloys based on carbides, oxides, nitrides, borides, or silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides, sulfides
    • C22C29/02—Alloys based on carbides, oxides, nitrides, borides, or silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides, sulfides based on carbides or carbonitrides
    • C22C29/06—Alloys based on carbides, oxides, nitrides, borides, or silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides, sulfides based on carbides or carbonitrides based on carbides, but not containing other metal compounds
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
    • B22F7/00—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression
    • B22F7/06—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools
    • B22F7/062—Manufacture of composite layers, workpieces, or articles, comprising metallic powder, by sintering the powder, with or without compacting wherein at least one part is obtained by sintering or compression of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools involving the connection or repairing of preformed parts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
    • B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
    • B33Y10/00—Processes of additive manufacturing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
    • B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
    • B33Y80/00—Products made by additive manufacturing
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C1/00—Making non-ferrous alloys
    • C22C1/10—Alloys containing non-metals
    • C22C1/1036—Alloys containing non-metals starting from a melt
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C26/00—Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
    • B22F5/00—Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product
    • B22F2005/001—Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
    • B22F2998/00—Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22F—WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
    • B22F2999/00—Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/25—Process efficiency

Definitions

  • Downhole milling tools used to cut casing in a downhole environment include a tubular body having a plurality of equi-azimuthally disposed blades coupled to the body. Each of the cutting blades has a forward surface facing the direction of rotation of the tool, which is dressed with a cutting material.
  • cutting elements may be attached, e.g., by brazing, to a steel cutting blade substrate at the forward surfaces of the cutting blades.
  • Mill cutting elements may include, for example, tungsten carbide tiles, which may include a protruding ridge or chip breaker that limits the length of swarf or chip cut by the cutting edge of the element.
  • Downhole milling tools may be used to, for example, remove portions of or entire sections of downhole casing.
  • section milling tools may be positioned within a casing, pipe, or other tubular member to mill away a length of the tubular member, e.g., for a plug and abandon operation.
  • Section mill cutting blades may be pivoted at one end so cutting elements at the other end may swing outwardly into engagement with the casing, pipe, or other tubular member to mill away the tubular member.
  • window milling tools e.g., a lead mill, may be positioned within a casing, pipe, or other tubular member and moved along a whipstock to cut an opening from the inside of the tubular member.
  • embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method of making a mill, a mill blade, or other cutting structure that includes combining cutting structure assembly components that include an infiltrant, a metallic starting material, and a pre-formed hard material body.
  • the cutting structure assembly components are heated to an infiltration temperature lower than a solidus temperature of the metallic starting material and greater than or equal to a melting temperature of the infiltrant.
  • additional embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method of making a mill cutting structure, and includes positioning pre-formed hard material bodies within a manufacturing assembly.
  • a metallic starting material is layered within the manufacturing assembly, and on interfaces with the pre-formed hard material bodies.
  • An infiltrant is layered on the metallic starting material.
  • the manufacturing assembly is heated to an infiltration temperature lower than a solidus temperature of the metallic starting material and greater than or equal to a melting temperature of the infiltrant.
  • embodiments disclosed herein relate to a mill cutting structure that includes at least one cutting element coupled to a support structure.
  • the support structure includes a plurality of metallic particles interspersed with an infiltration binder, and the infiltration binder couples the at least one cutting element to the support structure.
  • embodiments disclosed herein relate to a mill cutting structure that includes at least one cutting element and a support structure having a plurality of metallic particles interspersed with an infiltration binder.
  • the support structure may have material properties including a yield strength between 40 ksi and 70 ksi, an ultimate tensile strength between 60 ksi and 100 ksi, elongation between 5% and 16%, and hardness (as measured on the C scale of the Rockwell hardness test (HRQ) between HRC 18 and 35.
  • FIG. 1-1 is a cross-sectional view of a mold assembly, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 1-2 is a cross-sectional view of a mold assembly, according to some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 2-1 to 2-3 are cross-sectional views of a manufacturing assembly performing an additive manufacturing process, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a blade of a milling tool, according to some embodiments.
  • FIGS. 4-1 to 4-4 are cross-sectional views of a mill blade, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 5 shows a micrograph of a cutting element brazed to a body of a mill blade.
  • FIG. 6 shows a micrograph of a body integrally bonded to a cutting element through an infiltration process, according to some embodiments.
  • FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a milling tool, according to some embodiments.
  • Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to cutting structures, and some further embodiments relate to milling tools. Further example embodiments relate to infiltration of a metallic material.
  • Infiltration of a metallic material may be used, for instance, to form a mill blade or other mill cutting structure supporting one or more cutting elements.
  • a metallic material may be infiltrated with an infiltrant at temperatures below the solidus temperature of the metallic material, and above the melting temperature of the infiltrant.
  • heating the metallic material to a temperature below its solidus temperature may be performed to inhibit or even prevent the metallic material from sintering together prior to infiltration.
  • a mill cutting structure may be made by providing at least one cutting element within a first region of a mold, which first region may correspond with a cutting portion of the mill cutting structure.
  • the cutting structure may take any form and may include, for instance, a knife, blade, or other body that may support one or more cutting elements.
  • the term "cutting structure” or “mill cutting structure” may thus encompass a body or other portion of a milling tool which supports or is coupled to one or more cutting elements, gauge protection elements, or other "pre-formed hard material bodies.”
  • a metallic starting material may be placed in a mold adjacent the at least one pre-formed hard material body.
  • An infiltrant may also be placed in the mold.
  • the contents of the mold, including the pre-formed hard material body, the metallic starting material, and the infiltrant may be heated to an infiltration temperature, which in some embodiments may be lower than the solidus temperature of the metallic starting material and greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the infiltrant.
  • the infiltrant may infiltrate through the metallic starting material.
  • the heating parameters e.g., time and temperature
  • the material composition of the infiltrant the infiltrant may infiltrate through the metallic starting material and/or the pre-formed hard material body.
  • the infiltrant may integrate with the hard material body.
  • a single -piece mill cutting structure may be formed having at least one cutting element (formed by the at least one hard material body) held at a pre-arranged position relative to a metallic support structure (formed by the infiltrated metallic starting material) having a plurality of metallic particles interspersed with an infiltration binder.
  • the infiltration binder may attach the at least one cutting element to the support structure.
  • the term "starting” may be used to refer to a material that is infiltrated, while the term “infiltrant” may be used to describe a material that infiltrates the starting material.
  • the infiltrant in its molten state and/or after it has infiltrated the starting material and cooled may be referred to as an "infiltration binder".
  • the infiltrant (and infiltration binder) may be a metal or an alloy infiltrant used in an infiltration process to bond together the starting material.
  • the starting material may be contents within a mold, contents of a component formed by additive manufacturing, or the like.
  • the terms “infiltrant” and “infiltration binder” may be used interchangeably, depending on the stage of infiltration.
  • an infiltrant may generally maintain the same composition through the infiltration process.
  • a metallic infiltrant may have substantially the same composition in infiltration binder form.
  • the composition of the binder infiltrant may be altered during infiltration, such as where a metallic infiltrant has a different composition in its solidified infiltration binder form.
  • one or more elements may dissolve into the infiltration binder during infiltration.
  • substantially is used as a term of approximation, and not as a term of degree, and is intended to account for inherent, standard deviation in measured or calculated values, and in manufacturing tolerances, as would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • An infiltrant may include one or more transition metals, main group metals, or alloys thereof, although any suitable infiltration material or family of infiltration materials may be used.
  • the infiltrant may have a melting point lower than the melting point of a starting material it infiltrates.
  • one or more of copper, nickel, iron, or cobalt may a major constituent in the infiltrant.
  • Other elements such as one or more of aluminum, manganese, chromium, zinc, tin, silicon, silver, boron, or lead may also be present.
  • the infiltrant may nickel, copper, or alloys of nickel and/or copper.
  • the infiltrant may include, for example, a Cu-Mn-Ni alloy, a Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn alloy, a Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn-Sn alloy, a Cu-Mn-Ni-Sn-Zn-Fe alloy, a Cu-Mn-Ni-Zn-Fe-Si-B-Pb-Sn alloy, a Ni-Cr-Si-B-Al-C alloy, a Ni-Al alloy, a Cu-P alloy, a Co alloy, a Fe alloy, a Cu alloy, a Ni alloy, other alloys, or combinations of one or more of the foregoing.
  • the infiltrant may be a heat treatable metal binder in some embodiments.
  • Heat treatable metal binders may include, for example, Al-Cu alloys, Al-Cu-Mg alloys, Al-Mg-Si alloys, Al-Zn-Mg alloys, Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys, other alloys, and combinations of one or more of the foregoing.
  • a selected infiltrant material may have a melting temperature within a range having lower and/or upper limits including one of more of 800 °C (1470 °F), 850 °C (1560 °F), 900 °C (1650 °F), 950 °C (1740 °F), 1000 °C (1830 °F), 1050 °C (1920 °F), 1100 °C (2010 °F), 1150 °C (2100 °F), 1200 °C (2190 °F), 1250 °C (2280°F), or values therebetween.
  • the melting temperature of the infiltrant may be less than 800 °C (1470 °F) or greater than 1250 °C (2280°F).
  • an infiltrant may include a flux material.
  • the flux material may be provided with a metallic binder material.
  • a layer of powdered flux material may be provided over a layer of metallic binder infiltrant.
  • a metallic binder may be provided in the form of one or more slugs, ingots, or the like, and a flux material may be coated around the metallic binder, loaded on top of the metallic binder slug, encased within the metallic binder, or otherwise included with the metallic binder.
  • a metallic binder slug, ingot, or the like may have any of various shapes.
  • a metallic binder may be formed to be spherical (or generally spherical), cubic, or rectangular prism shaped, or have another symmetrical or geometric shape.
  • the metallic binder may also be irregularly shaped in some embodiments.
  • the flux material may, in some embodiments, be selected based on the working temperature range of the flux and/or the melting temperature of the metallic binder, and may be provided, for example, in liquid, paste, slurry, powder, or other forms.
  • Non-limiting examples of flux material include boron-based flux having a combination of one or more borates and fluorides, boron, BAg, BCuP, BCu, BNi, BAu, and RBCuZn.
  • the flux material may be adhered to the surface of the metallic binder.
  • a flux material may be adhered to the surface of a metallic binder by heating the metallic binder slug, ingot, or other structure to a temperature sufficient to melt or partially melt the flux material in contact with one or more surfaces of the metallic binder.
  • the metallic binder may be adherent in that the heated metallic binder may be capable of having the flux material adhere to its surface.
  • a flux material may be adhered to the surface of the metallic binder by using an adhesive coating, such as a fluid gel or paste, which adheres the flux material to the surface of the metallic binder.
  • An adhesive coating may be formed of a material that does not react with (or substantially react with) the metallic binder or flux at various temperatures (e.g., at a storage temperature and/or pre-heating temperatures) or a material that is capable of evaporating, decomposing, or otherwise dissipating upon heating so that the adhesive material does not contaminate the infiltrant.
  • an adhesive coating may be formed of a viscous solvent, such as a polymeric solvent (e.g., polyether polyols, polyether diols, polyether triols, polyether tetraols), glycerol, ethylene glycol, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, polydimethyl siloxane, polypropylene glycol dimethylether, other materials, and combinations or derivatives of one or more of the foregoing.
  • the adhesive material may include a flux, such as a rosin, a modified rosin, a borate, a fluoride, boron, brown flux, other materials, or combinations of one or more of the foregoing.
  • the flux may be substantially uniformly distributed about one or more surfaces (e.g., exterior surfaces) of the metallic binder.
  • a flux material may be used to purify a metallic or other binder (e.g., by reacting with binder surface oxides to form slags) during melting and subsequent infiltration.
  • the flux may be uniformly distributed throughout molten infiltration binder during melting and subsequent infiltration to allow increased points of contact with the binder. Increased contact with the binder may allow for improved purification of the molten infiltration binder and reduced defects due to the presence of regions lacking in flux and/or regions having too much flux.
  • a metallic starting material may be infiltrated with a metallic infiltrant to form at least a portion of a mill cutting structure.
  • the metallic starting material may be infiltrated to form a support structure for one or more cutting elements.
  • the metallic starting material may include, for example, steel or alloyed steel (including iron alloyed with carbon and at least one of manganese, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, silicon, boron, aluminum, cobalt, copper, cerium, niobium, titanium, tungsten, tin, zinc, lead, or zirconium).
  • the metallic starting material may include stainless steel, cobalt, nickel, or low expansion alloys (e.g., a Fe-Ni-Co alloy (e.g., an alloy with 29% Ni, 17% Co, and remaining balance Fe), a Fe-Ni alloy (e.g., an alloy with 64% Fe and 36% Ni, an alloy with 58% Fe and 42% Ni), or a Fe-Ni-Cr alloy (e.g., an alloy with 42% Ni, 6% Cr, and remaining balance Fe)).
  • a Fe-Ni-Co alloy e.g., an alloy with 29% Ni, 17% Co, and remaining balance Fe
  • Fe-Ni alloy e.g., an alloy with 64% Fe and 36% Ni, an alloy with 58% Fe and 42% Ni
  • Fe-Ni-Cr alloy e.g., an alloy with 42% Ni, 6% Cr, and remaining balance Fe
  • the metallic starting material may include refractory metals (e.g., tungsten, molybdenum, or vanadium), or a mixture of metallic materials (including one or more of those disclosed herein) having selected ratios to provide desired properties of strength and/or toughness for a milling tool or a downhole cutting tool.
  • the metallic starting material may include Co/Ni base alloys containing various alloying elements depending on the corrosion or wear resistance requirements.
  • Particles such as STELLITE 6® powders, or other materials/powders composed of Co alloyed with one or more of Cr, W, C, Ni, Fe, Si, Mn, or Mo, or INCONEL 728® alloy powders, or other powders or materials composed of Ni alloyed with, for example, one or more of less than 35% by weight Cr, less than 15% by weight Fe, less than 15% by weight Mo, less than 6% by weight Nb, less than 20% by weight Co, less than 1.5% by weight Mn, less than 1% by weight Cu, less than 2% by weight Al, less than 3% by weight Ti, less than 0.6% by weight Si, less than 0.2% by weight C, less than 0.02% by weight S, less than 0.02% by weight P, or less than 0.01% percent by weight B are also some examples of some suitable starting materials.
  • the metallic starting powder or material may be selected from one or more non- carbide forming metals or metal alloys.
  • the metallic starting powder or material may be selected from one or more non- carbide
  • a metallic starting material may be selected from a metal or metal alloy that has a melting temperature greater than 1000 °C (1830 °F), 1050 °C (1920 °F), 1100 °C (2010 °F), 1200 °C (2190 °F), 1300 °C (2370 °F), 1400 °C (2550 °F), or 1500 °C (2730 °F).
  • a metallic starting material may include a metal or metal alloy having a melting temperature within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 1050 °C (1920 °F), 1100 °C (2010 °F), 1200 °C (2190 °F) 1300 °C (2370 °F), 1400 °C (2550 °F), 1500 °C (2730 °F), 1600 °C (2910 °F), 1700 °C (3090 °F), 1800 °C (3270 °F), 1900 °C (3450 °F), 2000 °C (3630 °F), 3000 °C (5430 °F), or 3500 °C (6330 °F), where any value may be used as a lower or upper limit.
  • the melting temperature of the metallic starting material may be less than 1000 °C (1830 °F) or greater than 3500 °C (6330°F).
  • a metallic starting material may include a mixture of a first metallic material and an additive material.
  • the additive material may provide a desired property to the first metallic material.
  • a metallic starting material powder may include a steel metallic material mixed with an additive material, where the additive material is a powdered metal-based or non-metal material added to tailor the mechanical properties of the resultant composite or to reduce rust formation in the milling/cutting, or other downhole tool.
  • a metallic starting material may have a carbon content of less than 2% by weight, less than 1% by weight, less than 0.5% by weight, less than 0.2% by weight, or less than 0.1% by weight in some embodiments.
  • a metallic starting material being infiltrated with metal infiltrant to form a support structure of a mill cutting structure may be low carbon alloyed steel having a carbon content of less than 2% percent by weight.
  • a metallic starting material may be loaded in powder form into a region of a mold.
  • the mold may include one or more pre- formed hard material bodies, and the metallic starting material may be placed at least partially around the pre-formed hard material bodies.
  • the metallic starting powder may have a particle size measured in a range of mesh sizes (e.g, -100+320 mesh).
  • mesh actually refers to the size of the wire mesh used to screen the particles.
  • 40 mesh indicates a wire mesh screen with 40 holes per linear inch, where the holes are defined by the crisscrossing strands of wire in the mesh. The hole size is determined by the number of meshes per inch and the wire size.
  • Mesh sizes referred to herein are standard U.S. mesh sizes.
  • a standard 40 mesh screen has holes such that particles having a dimension less than 420 ⁇ can pass through the mesh screen while particles having dimensions greater than 420 ⁇ are restricted from passing through, and are retained on the mesh screen. Therefore, the range of particle sizes of the metallic powder may be defined by the largest and smallest grade of mesh used to screen the particles.
  • Metallic particles in the range of - 16+40 mesh i.e., particles are smaller than the 16 mesh screen but larger than the 40 mesh screen
  • particles in the range of -40+80 mesh will contain particles larger than 180 ⁇ and smaller than 420 ⁇ .
  • Example mesh sizes for particles may include -230+325, -200+270, - 170+230, -140+200, -120+170, -100+140, -80+120, -70+100, -60+80, -50+70, -40+60, -30+40, - 20+30, -10+25, etc.
  • no particles with dimensions outside the specified mesh size may be included in the starting material. In other embodiments, however, some particles outside the specified mesh size may be included. For instance, in some embodiments, fewer than 20%, fewer than 10%, fewer than 5%, fewer than 2%, fewer than 1%, fewer than 0.5%, fewer than 0.1%, or fewer than 0.01% of the total particles may be outside the specified mesh size.
  • Metallic starting material particles may have a mono-modal, bi-modal, or multi-modal particle size distribution, depending on the materials being used and the mill cutting structure support being formed. Further, metallic starting material may include particles having the same shape (e.g., spherical or irregular) or may include particles having different shapes (e.g., a combination of spherical particles and irregularly shaped particles). The shape of particles may be characterized by their "shape factor.”
  • the shape factor (SF) may be determined by the expression:
  • the shape factor of metallic starting material particles may be greater than 0.65.
  • the shape factor of metallic starting material particles may be within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 0.65, 0.75, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, or 1.0, where any value may be a lower or upper limit. In other embodiments, the shape factor may be less than 0.65.
  • metallic starting material particles having substantially the same shape may be poured or otherwise placed into at least a portion of a mold over or around one or more pre-formed hard material bodies.
  • the metallic starting material particles may be placed in one or more selected regions of a mold, or within the entire mold and around or over one or more pre-formed hard material bodies of a mill cutting structure.
  • metallic starting material having spherical or otherwise shaped particles may have a mono-modal or bi-modal distribution.
  • a portion of the mill e.g., a mill cutting support structure formed with spherical shaped particles having a mono- or bi-modal distribution may have a reduced mean free path and contiguity between starting material particles.
  • mean free path refers to average distance between particles of the starting material.
  • contiguity refers to the measurement of inter-phase contact between starting material particles. For example, a contiguity of 0% would mean that no two starting material particles are in direct contact, whereas a contiguity of 50% would mean that half of the starting material particles are in contact with other starting material particles.
  • a mill cutting structure formed as disclosed herein may be formed of a metal matrix composite material (e.g., a metallic starting material infiltrated with a metallic infiltrant having a lower melting point than the metallic starting material).
  • the mill cutting structure may have a mean free path between metallic starting material particles of less than 60 microns ( ⁇ ).
  • the mean free path between metallic starting material particles may be within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 1 ⁇ , 5 ⁇ , 10 ⁇ , 15 ⁇ , 20 ⁇ , 25 ⁇ , 35 ⁇ , 45 ⁇ , 50 ⁇ , or 60 ⁇ , where any value may be a lower or upper limit.
  • the mean free path between metallic starting material particles may be less than 1 ⁇ or greater than 60 ⁇ .
  • the contiguity of the metallic starting material particles may be less than 20%, and within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 2%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% percent, or any value therebetween. In other embodiments, the contiguity may be less than 2% or more than 20%.
  • the metallic starting material may be positioned adjacent to at least one hard material body to form one or more metal matrix composite regions of a mill cutting structure support.
  • One or more metal matrix composite regions i.e., regions formed of metallic starting material infiltrated with an infiltrant having a lower melting point than the metallic starting material, may form, for example, greater than 80% by volume, greater than 90% by volume, greater than 95% by volume, or even 100% by volume of a mill cutting structure support.
  • the metal matrix composite regions may be less than 80% by volume of the mill cutting support structure.
  • a mold having the negative shape of the mill cutting structure may have one or more pre -formed hard material bodies loaded therein.
  • the pre-formed hard material bodies may be in a position corresponding with a cutting portion of the mill cutting structure.
  • the entire remainder of the mold is optionally filled with metallic starting material and an infiltrant (and optionally metal additive material and/or flux).
  • the resulting mill cutting structure support may have its entire volume formed of a metal matrix composite material of embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • less than the entire remainder of a mold may be filled with metallic starting material and an infiltrant (and optionally metal additive material and/or flux) over and/or around one or more pre-formed hard material bodies.
  • additional components or one or more transition layers of carbide powder of a mill cutting structure may be added to the mold.
  • hard material body may be used in description of the process or method of making a mill cutting structure, or the result of such process.
  • the hard material body upon formation of the mill cutting structure, the hard material body may be referred to as a "cutting element.”
  • the terms “hard material body” and “cutting element” may be used interchangeably, depending on the stage of infiltration.
  • a gauge protection element may also be a hard material body in some embodiments.
  • a cutting element may be formed from a hard material, for example, a carbide material such as a metal carbide (e.g., tungsten carbide or titanium carbide), a diamond material (e.g., synthetic diamond or thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (“TSP”)), or other ultrahard material such as cubic boron nitride (“CBN”), etc.
  • a carbide material such as a metal carbide (e.g., tungsten carbide or titanium carbide), a diamond material (e.g., synthetic diamond or thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (“TSP”)), or other ultrahard material such as cubic boron nitride (“CBN”), etc.
  • TSP thermally stable polycrystalline diamond
  • cutting elements may be formed of at least one of WC, TiC, TaC, NbC, diamond, CBN, other ultrahard materials, and mixtures thereof, such as WC(TiCTaCNbC), with a suitable binder material, such as cobalt.
  • the mill cutting structure may be formed by loading one or more tungsten carbide pre-formed hard material bodies into a mold or other support for facilitating formation of the cutting structure.
  • the tungsten carbide pre-formed hard material bodies may be pre-formed by sintering tungsten carbide, e.g., crushed or cast tungsten carbide, with a binder, e.g., cobalt binder, into a desired shape.
  • a binder e.g., cobalt binder
  • Other embodiments may use different types of transition metal carbide and/or different types of binder to form sintered carbide pre-formed hard material bodies, which may act as the cutting elements of an infiltrated mill cutting structure.
  • Infiltration methods of the present disclosure may include providing metallic material, including a metallic infiltrant and a metallic starting material to be infiltrated, adjacent to one or more pre-formed hard material bodies, heating the metallic material and pre-formed hard material body assembly to an infiltration temperature, and cooling the assembly, where upon solidification, the assembly forms a mill cutting structure having one or more cutting elements arranged on a metal matrix composite support (the metallic starting material infiltrated with the infiltrant).
  • the assembly may be provided in a mold, where the mold has one or more pre-formed hard material bodies set on or therein, and is filled with a powdered metallic starting material fully or partially including a metal or metal alloy.
  • a metallic starting material having a metal or metal alloy composition may in some embodiments form greater than 80% by volume, greater than 90% by volume, greater than 95% by volume, or even 100% by volume of the starting material to be infiltrated in methods of making a mill cutting structure by infiltration according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • an entire volume of a mill cutting structure may be formed of metallic starting material (not including any pre-formed hard material bodies).
  • an entire volume of one or more regions of a mill cutting structure may be formed of metallic starting material (not including any pre-formed hard material bodies).
  • less than the entire volume of a mill cutting structure (or a region thereof) may be formed of metallic starting materials.
  • a metallic binder infiltrant may be poured over the powdered starting material and within the mold, placed as solid blocks or as a powder into the mold, or otherwise added to the metallic starting materials in the mold.
  • the contents of the mold including the hard material bodies, powdered starting material, and metallic binder infiltrant) may then be heated to an infiltration temperature.
  • the infiltration temperature may be between the solidus temperature of the powdered metallic starting material and the melting temperature of the metallic binder infiltrant, such that the infiltrant melts and infiltrates through the powdered metallic starting material.
  • the starting material may remain un-melted through the infiltration process, which in some embodiments may reduce or even prevent self-sintering of the starting material.
  • Infiltration methods may also or instead include infiltrating a mill cutting structure or other contents of a mold (e.g., by heating the contents of a mold to an infiltration temperature such that an infiltrant melts and infiltrates starting material) in an unpressurized environment.
  • the unpressurized environment may be under atmospheric or ambient pressure, or in a vacuum under a low pressure environment.
  • the unpressurized or low pressure environment may be at a pressure having lower or upper limits including any one or more of 10 "3 torr, 10 "4 torr, 10 "5 torr, 10 "6 torr, 10 “8 torr, 10 "10 torr, 10 "11 torr, or values therebetween.
  • infiltration may be carried out in a reduced oxygen environment, e.g., flushing a chamber holding a mold assembly with inert gas such as argon or nitrogen using a vacuum system.
  • infiltration may occur by infiltrating under atmospheric pressure in an endothermic gas environment. Heating may be performed using a variety of techniques and equipment, including vacuum heating, microwave furnace heating, induction heating, or other direct or indirect heating. Infiltrating according to embodiments of the present disclosure in a reduced oxygen environment may avoid non-wetting of the infiltrant during infiltration. Following an infiltration process, contents of a mold may then be cooled to solidify the metallic binder and form the mill body.
  • an infiltration process may include additive manufacturing or other manufacturing techniques that may or may or may not include a mold.
  • FIG. 1-1 a cross-sectional view of a mold assembly 100-1 for use in an infiltration process is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the mold assembly 100- 1 may include a mold 102-1 having the general negative shape of a mill cutting structure and contents 104-1, 106-1, 108-1 provided therein.
  • FIG. 1-1 shows the cross-section of a mold 102-1 having a negative shape of a mill cutting structure with a cutting region 110-1 and a support region 112-1.
  • the cutting region 110-1 include one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 104-1 having a predetermined size and shape.
  • the one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 104-1 may be positioned within the cutting region 110-1 of the mold 102-1, and located at positions corresponding to the locations of where the cutting elements are to be positioned in a milling cutting structure.
  • One or more regions of metallic starting material 106-1 may be placed or otherwise loaded into the mold 102-1 and located adjacent the pre-formed hard material body 104-1. As shown, the metallic starting material 106-1 may interface with the pre-formed hard material body 104-1.
  • the interface may be planar along a single surface of the pre-formed hard material body 104-1; however, in other embodiments, the metallic starting material 106-1 may interface along more than one surface of a hard material body (e.g., to partially surround a hard material body on multiple sides or surfaces, and potentially each surface other than a cutting surface). Further, in some embodiments, metallic starting material 106-1 may interface along one or more non-planar surfaces of a pre-formed hard material body 104-1 (e.g., to form a curved or other non-planar interface, to form an interlocking geometry interface, etc.).
  • an infiltrant 108-1 may be placed or otherwise loaded into the mold 102-1 and optionally layered or otherwise positioned over the metallic starting material 106-1.
  • the infiltrant 108-1 may be a metallic infiltrant.
  • flux (not shown) may be provided with or in addition to the infiltrant 108-1.
  • the contents 104-1, 106-1, 108-1 of the mold 102- 1 may then be heated to an infiltration temperature.
  • the infiltration temperature is below the solidus temperature of the metallic starting material 106-1 and greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the infiltrant 108-1.
  • the contents of the mold 102-1 may then cool.
  • the contents of the mold 102-1 form an infiltrated mill cutting structure having at least one cutting element (e.g., pre-formed hard material body 104-1) supported by a metal matrix composite support (e.g., metallic starting material 106-1 infiltrated by infiltrant 108-1).
  • a metal matrix composite support e.g., metallic starting material 106-1 infiltrated by infiltrant 108-1.
  • selecting features such as the heating technique and profile (e.g., maximum temperature, how quickly to heat to the maximum temperature, how long to stay at the maximum temperature, etc.), the cooling technique and profile (e.g., air cooling or quenching, how quickly to cool, etc.), post heating treatments (e.g., tempering, etc.), and the like, the pre-formed hard material bodies 104-1 and the support region 112-1 can affected and desired properties can be obtained.
  • the infiltrant 108-1 may be provided adjacent to the metallic starting material 106-1 in an amount sufficient to infiltrate the entire layer of metallic starting material 106-1 without any layer of infiltrant 108-1 remaining on or above the metallic starting material 106-1, or with merely a thin layer of infiltrant 108-1 remaining over the metallic starting material 106-1.
  • the remaining layer of infiltrant 108-1 may form less than 35%, less than 25%, less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, less than 5%, less than 2%, less than 1%, or less than 0.5% of the volume, weight, or height of the support region 112-1. In some embodiments, a remaining layer of infiltrant 108-1 may be machined off.
  • the metallic starting material 106-1 may include any number of different types of metallic starting materials.
  • the metallic starting material 106-1 may include different material compositions, different particle sizes, different size distributions such as mono-modal and bi-modal, different shapes, other variations, or combinations of the foregoing.
  • different starting materials 106-1 e.g., powders
  • a first starting material may be a first type of starting material (e.g., steel particles) having a selected particle size, size distribution, and shape (e.g., spherical, ellipsoidal, irregular, etc.).
  • a second starting material may be of the same or different type of starting material, and may have the same or a different particle size, size distribution, or shape. Each different starting material may have one or more differences in material properties (e.g., hardness, toughness, erosion resistance, melting or solidus temperature, etc.).
  • two or more different starting materials may be mixed together and placed or otherwise loaded into the mold 102- 1.
  • two or more different starting materials may be integrated together using additive manufacturing techniques, as discussed in more detail herein.
  • the contents of the mold 102-1 are heated to the flow or infiltration temperature of the infiltrant 108-1, the melted infiltrant 108-1 flows through and infiltrates the starting materials 106-1 within the mold 102-1 and bonds particles of the starting material 106-1 to each other and to any other components (e.g., pre-formed hard material body 104-1) to form a solid mill cutting structure.
  • each region of starting material 106-1 within the mold may be bonded together by the same infiltration material (or combination of materials).
  • the infiltrant 108-1 flows through the starting material 106-1 relatively homogenously. For instance, where multiple starting materials are used, the ratio of the infiltrant 108-1 to a first starting material and the ratio of the infiltrant 108-1 to a second starting material may be substantially the same within corresponding regions.
  • the starting material 106-1 may be infiltrated with an infiltrant 108-1 during the infiltration process, such that the different regions are integrally formed together.
  • embodiments having a single starting material 106-1 may have an infiltrant 108-1 substantially uniformly distributed throughout the starting material 106-1.
  • the infiltration temperature may be lower than the solidus temperature of each starting material and greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the infiltrant 108-1. In other embodiments having two or more different starting materials, the infiltration temperature may be lower than the solidus temperature of at least one but less than each starting material, depending on the composition of the starting materials, and greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the infiltrant 108-1.
  • the infiltrant 108-1 may flow through and infiltrate the starting material 106-1 to bond the starting material 106-1 to the pre-formed hard material body 104-1.
  • the infiltrant 108-1 may not infiltrate the pre-formed hard material body 104-1, may not significantly infiltrate the pre-formed hard material body 104-1, or may not infiltrate the pre-formed hard material body 104-1 in a manner that is homogenous with the infiltration of the starting material 106-1.
  • the infiltration process may bond the pre-formed hard material body 104-1 to the support region 112 formed of the infiltrated starting material 106-1.
  • the material 104-1 may be a powder or have another form, and may be located at regions in the mold 102-1 which correspond to cutting element or cutting locations of a mill cutting structure.
  • the material 104-1 may have different properties than the starting material 106-1.
  • Infiltration using the infiltrant 108-1 may then be used to infiltrate both the starting material 106-1 and the material 104-1.
  • the infiltrant 108-1 may be heated to a temperature equal to or above the melting temperature of the infiltrant 108-1, but below the solidus temperature of one or both of the starting material 106-1 or the material 104-1.
  • the particles of the starting material 106-1 may be bonded together, the particles of the material 104-1 may be bonded together, and the starting material 106-1 and the material 104-1 may be integrally bonded together.
  • FIG. 1-2 is a cross-sectional view of another example embodiment of a mold assembly 100-2 for use in an infiltration process.
  • the mold assembly 100-2 may be generally similar to the mold assembly 100-1 of FIG. 1-1, and may include a mold 102-2 having the general negative shape of a mill cutting structure. Contents of the mold 102-2 may include pre-formed hard material bodies 104-2, starting material 106-2, and infiltrant 108-2. Rather than layering each of the materials 104-2, 106-2, 108-2 (see FIG. 1-1), one or more of the materials 104-2, 106-2, 108-2 may overlap in the mold 102-2. For instance, the one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 104-2 may be partially embedded in the starting material 106-2.
  • the infiltrant 108-2 may be fully or partially within the starting material 106-2. Infiltration may then occur as discussed herein to form a cutting region 110-2 and a support region 112-2. In the orientation shown in FIG. 1-2, the support region 112-2 may extend past the upper surface of the pre-formed hard material bodies 104-2 to support (and be bonded to) upper and side surfaces of the pre-formed hard material bodies 104-2. While FIG. 1-2 illustrates the infiltrant 108-2 as masses of material within the starting material 106-2, this embodiment is illustrative. In other embodiments, for instance, the infiltrant 108-2 may be layered on the starting material 106-2.
  • particles of the starting material 106-2 may be coated with the infiltrant 108-2.
  • a mold 102-1, 102-2 may have a negative shape that may vary depending on the mill cutting structure being formed.
  • the mold may be made of graphite or other materials, and in some embodiments, at least a portion of the inner walls of a mold may be coated.
  • a coating such as a refractory metal or boron nitride may be used, for instance, to reduce carbon additions from the graphite mold during infiltration. In other embodiments, the inner walls of a mold may remain uncoated.
  • FIGS. 1-1 and 1-2 relate to the use of a mold to form a mill cutting structure
  • metallic starting material may be built into a structure using other manufacturing processes.
  • FIGS. 2-1 to 2-3 illustrate an example additive manufacturing process, which may be representative of 3D printing, simultaneous casting, binder jetting, laser metal deposition, electron beam melting, direct metal laser sintering, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, or the like.
  • an additive manufacturing process may be automated or fully or partially manually performed.
  • the additive manufacturing process may occur prior to infiltrating the starting material.
  • an additive manufacturing assembly 200 may include a deposition device 214 used to form a mill cutting structure by depositing sequential volumes or layers of selected starting material 206 in designated regions on a support structure 216.
  • the additive manufacturing assembly 200 may include a support 216 on which the mill cutting structure may be formed.
  • a supply system 218 may provide access to starting materials in a powder or other form, and a guide system 220 may be used to guide the deposition device 214 when positioning layers of the starting material 206.
  • the guide system 220 may include physical supports, microprocessors, memory devices, user interfaces, or any other components that may be used to guide or control movement of the deposition device 214.
  • a binder or adhesive may be used to bind the multiple sequential layers together.
  • the binder may be mixed with the starting material prior to being deposited by the deposition device 214, the binder may be applied through a separate nozzle of the deposition device 214 and simultaneously applied with the starting material 206, or a layer of the binder may be deposited between layers of the starting material 206.
  • Suitable binders may include organic binders, such as waxes, resins or other organic compounds, synthetic waxes, sodium silicate, acrylic copolymers, arabic gum, portland cement, and the like.
  • a metallic starting material structure may be built upon one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 204.
  • the one or more preformed hard material bodies 204 may be positioned on the support structure 216, which optionally may include cavities, tabs, or other features that facilitate placement of the pre-formed hard material bodies 204.
  • the deposition device 214 may then be used to sequentially build layers of starting material 206 (see FIGS. 2-2 and 2-3), and the starting material 206 and the one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 204 may have a combined shape substantially corresponding with the final shape of the mill cutting structure to be formed upon completion of the formation and infiltration process.
  • the starting material 206 and the one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 204 may have a combined shape substantially corresponding with a final shape of a portion of a mill cutting structure, to allow attachment, bonding, or other coupling with one or more additional features of a mill cutting structure.
  • a starting material 204 and one or more pre-formed hard material bodies 204 may have a combined shape substantially corresponding with a final shape of a mill cutting structure support having cutting elements arranged thereon, where the infiltrated mill cutting structure support with cutting elements may be attached to a blade or other portion of a downhole cutting tool.
  • the starting material 206 may be infiltrated, as described herein.
  • a structure of starting material 206 having at least one region formed with a metallic starting material may be infiltrated with an infiltrant by applying an infiltrant to the starting material 206, heating the infiltrant to an infiltration temperature lower than the solidus temperature of the starting material 206 and greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the infiltrant, such that the infiltrant infiltrates through the starting material 206.
  • the infiltrant may be applied during the additive manufacturing process (e.g., by the deposition device 214) as layers of the starting material 206 are formed.
  • the infiltrant may be applied to the structure formed by the starting material 206 after formation of the structure.
  • the starting material 206 may be infiltrated in the presence of a carbon source, such as graphite. Forming starting material 206 into a suitable shape and configuration using additive manufacturing may form one or more regions of a mill cutting structure, for example, an entire support of a mill cutting structure.
  • the additive manufacturing assembly 200 may be any suitable device capable of fabricating a structure from the starting material 206, or for forming a mold (e.g., molds 102-1, 102-2 of FIGS. 1-1 and 1-2) in which starting material is infiltrated.
  • the additive manufacturing assembly 200 may use a CAD or other model as a template/guide.
  • Suitable commercially available additive manufacturing assemblies capable of assembling starting material structures or molds include S-MAX, S-PRINT, IMPRINT, M-FLEX, and XI -LAB, marketed by The ExOne Company, of North Huntingdon, PA.
  • FIG. 3 shows a mill cutting structure 322 that may be formed using infiltration method according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the mill cutting structure 322 may include, for example, a mill blade or knife formed by providing metallic materials, including a metallic infiltrant and a metallic starting material to be infiltrated, adjacent to a plurality of pre-formed hard material bodies.
  • the metallic materials and pre-formed hard material bodies may be part of an assembly or structure that is heated to an infiltration temperature, and the assembly may subsequently be cooled. Heating may melt the infiltrant and cooling may allow the infiltrant to solidify.
  • the assembly may form the mill cutting structure 322 having a plurality of cutting elements 304 arranged on a metal matrix composite body or support 312 (the metallic starting material infiltrated with the infiltrant).
  • the mill cutting structure 322 includes a longitudinally extending blade 324, the upper end portion of which has an opening 326 acting as a pivot point.
  • a pin or shaft (not shown) may be positioned in opening 326 and may couple the mill cutting structure 322 to a downhole milling tool (see FIG. 7).
  • the opening 326 is situated in a necked portion of the blade 324, which broadens out to a main or cutting portion 328 of the blade 324, where a radially inner side portion 330 may link to a rib 332.
  • the rib 332 may have a generally triangular cross-sectional shape.
  • the rib 332 and/or the radially inner side portion 330 may in some embodiments define a cam surface which can be used to pivot the blade 324 about the opening 326 to selectively expand or retract the mill cutting structure 322.
  • a lower part of the blade 324 may be configured to engage and mill casing, cement, or some other structure.
  • the blade 324 includes an L-shaped cutout at the lower surface. This cutout may define a lower edge portion 334, which may be the portion or region of the blade 324 that initially contacts or cuts the structure being milled.
  • the lower edge portion 334 may be adjacent a cutting portion 336 which assists in the milling process.
  • the cutting portion 336 may include multiple cutting elements 304 arranged on the support 312.
  • the cutting elements 304 may be located along a leading or front surface of the blade 324, i.e. facing forwardly in the direction of rotation of the mill cutting structure 322, and forming at least a portion of the cutting portion 336 of the mill cutting structure 322.
  • the cutting elements 304 may be bonded to the support 312 by an infiltration process such as those disclosed herein.
  • the support 312 may be a metal matrix composite with a metal infiltrant material that partially forms the metal matrix composite.
  • the cutting elements 304 are positioned in multiple radially extending rows, with rows being positioned axially one above the other.
  • the rows may be adjacent each other, and the cutting elements 304 of adjacent rows (or adjacent cutting elements 304 within a same row) may contact each other, or may be separated some distance from adjacent cutting elements 304.
  • the rows of cutting elements 304 may be staggered with respect to adjacent rows. For instance, odd numbered rows starting from the lower edge 334 and extending upwardly in the longitudinal direction may include cutting elements 304 which generally align with one another, while the even numbered rows may include cutting elements 304 which generally align with one another.
  • the cutting elements 304 of the odd numbered rows may be offset from the cutting elements 304 of the even numbered rows by about half the radial length of a cutting element, thereby forming a "brickwork" pattern. In other embodiments, however, cutting elements may be positioned in other arrangements, including, for example, non-linear arrangements and spaced apart arrangements. Further, while the illustrated cutting elements 304 are shown as being generally rectangular, in other embodiments the cutting elements may have other shapes, including cylindrical, triangular, tooth- shaped, other regular or irregular shapes, or combinations of the foregoing.
  • At least the support 312 portion of the blade 324 may be formed of a metal matrix composite material (i.e., a metallic starting material infiltrated with an infiltrant) according to infiltration methods disclosed herein.
  • a metal matrix composite material i.e., a metallic starting material infiltrated with an infiltrant
  • an entire blade e.g., support 312, cutting portion 328, rib 332, the neck portion, etc.
  • one or more regions of a mill cutting structure 322 may be formed with different infiltrated or metal matrix composite materials.
  • the mill cutting structure 322 may include the plurality of cutting elements 304 on the support 312 of the blade 324, and the support 312 may be formed of a first metal matrix composite, and a remaining region (e.g., cutting portion 328, rib 332, neck portion, etc.) of the blade 324 may be formed of a different metal matrix composite or other material.
  • infiltrated or metal matrix composite materials may be coupled to other materials (e.g., steel), such that a portion of the blade 324 may be formed of an infiltrated or metal matrix composite material (e.g., support 312), while another portion may be formed of a non-infiltrated or non-metal matrix composite material (e.g., rib 332).
  • Metal matrix composite regions forming mill cutting structures may include at least some amounts of non-metallic materials.
  • small amounts of non-metallic materials may be introduced as impurities due to manufacturing conditions, interstitial alloying constituents, carbon diffusion from a mold during infiltration, other conditions, or combinations of the foregoing.
  • an infiltrated metallic region may have a greater weight percent of non-metallic components than the starting material used to form such region.
  • metal starting material may have at least 98% by weight of the material composition formed of one or more metal components, while the “metal matrix composite” region formed from infiltrating the metallic starting material may have at least 97% by weight of the material composition formed of one or more metal components.
  • the metallic starting material may be at least 90% by weight metal components, and the metal matrix composite region may be at least 88% by weight metal components.
  • the metallic starting material may be at least 95% by weight metal components, and the metal matrix composite region may be at least 92% or at least 94% by weight metal components. The difference in percentage by weight between the metal matrix composite region and the metallic starting material may be less than 0.5% in some embodiments.
  • one or more metal matrix composite regions forming a mill cutting structure may be made by infiltrating a steel starting material with a metal alloy infiltrant.
  • the steel may have a carbon interstitial alloying constituent of less than 1 % by weight, and less than 1 % by weight carbon may diffuse into the one or more metallic regions during infiltration, and the one or more metallic regions may have less than 0.5% by weight of non-metal impurities.
  • low temperature infiltration may be conducted in a carbon rich environment, such as in a graphite mold, in a mold made with carbon containing material, or using a carbon source such as graphite provided with the infiltrant, to provide a reduction environment for infiltration as well as a carbon source for carburization to form a hard outer layer.
  • a carbon-affected zone (“CAZ").
  • the CAZ may have increased hardness (from the carbon diffused therein), thereby providing the mill cutting structure with an integrally formed outer shell having a hardness greater than a portion of the mill cutting structure not within the CAZ.
  • the outer shell may also maintain toughness and ductility from the infiltrated metallic composition (from the infiltration temperature being low enough to avoid formation or precipitation of carbides.
  • a CAZ may have up to 50 times increase in the weight percent of carbon based on the total weight of the CAZ over the weight percent of carbon in the starting material forming the CAZ based on the total weight of the CAZ.
  • a resulting CAZ may have up to 50 times more carbon than the first amount of carbon.
  • a CAZ may have a starting weight percent of carbon and an ending weight percent of carbon, based on the total weight of the CAZ, ranging from limits of 0 wt%, greater than 0 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, 4 wt%, 5 wt%, 5.5 wt%, 6 wt%, 6.7 wt%, 7 wt%, or 10 wt%, where any limit may be used in combination with any other limit.
  • a CAZ may have a starting carbon weight percent of 0 wt% and an ending carbon weight percent of 5 wt% or a starting carbon weight percent of 0.2 wt% and an ending carbon weight percent of 4 wt%.
  • a ratio of the starting weight percent of carbon to the ending weight percent of carbon in the CAZ, based on the total weight of the CAZ, may be within a range having lower and/or upper limits that include any of 1:1.5, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:25, 1:30, 1:40, or 1:50.
  • the starting carbon in the CAZ may be 0.2 wt% based on the total weight of the CAZ, and the ending carbon in the CAZ after carburization may be 3.0 wt%, an increase of 15 times (or a starting to ending weight percent ratio of 1:15).
  • the starting carbon in the CAZ may be 3.0 wt% based on the total weight of the CAZ, and the ending carbon in the CAZ after carburization may be 4.5 wt%, an increase of 1.5 times (or a starting to ending weight percent ratio of 1: 1.5).
  • the starting to ending weight percent ratio may be less than 1:1.5 or greater than 1:50.
  • a CAZ may be formed along one or more outer regions of a generally metallic mill cutting structure support (or tool body), where the CAZ may have a material composition including greater than 2 wt% carbon based on the total weight of the CAZ. In some embodiments having one or more CAZs with a composition including greater than 1 wt% carbon, the one or more CAZs may form less than 10 vol% of the infiltrated metallic mill cutting structure support.
  • Carburization from a carbon source (e.g., a carbon containing mold material or other carbon source) to a mill cutting structure assembly ready for infiltration may be controlled by controlling the variables of the infiltration process, including the heating time and the heating temperature, as well as the initial material composition of the mold and contents of the mold.
  • the amount of carbon in the carbon source and material composition of the mill cutting structure assembly may be controlled.
  • parameters of infiltrating a generally metallic mill cutting structure support including starting material composition (e.g., amount of carbon initially present in the starting material), carbon source composition (e.g., amount and/or structure of carbon in a mold or other carbon source), infiltration temperature (including any intermediate temperatures the mill cutting structure assembly is heated to for carbon diffusion), and time the mill cutting structure assembly is heated to selected temperatures, may be designed to control the depth of diffusion (and thus the depth of the CAZ from the outer surface of the mill cutting structure) and the amount of carbon that diffuses into the starting material, which may provide a selected hardness to the CAZ.
  • starting material composition e.g., amount of carbon initially present in the starting material
  • carbon source composition e.g., amount and/or structure of carbon in a mold or other carbon source
  • infiltration temperature including any intermediate temperatures the mill cutting structure assembly is heated to for carbon diffusion
  • a CAZ may extend a depth of at least 0.05 inch (1.3 mm) from an outer surface of a mill cutting structure.
  • the CAZ region may extend a depth from an outer surface of a mill cutting structure that is within a range including lower and/or upper limits including any of 0.01 inch (0.3 mm), 0.03 inch (0.8 mm), 0.05 inch (1.3 mm), 0.1 inch (2.5 mm), 0.5 inch (12.7 mm), 0.6 inch (15.2 mm), 0.75 inch (19.1 mm), 1 inch (25.4 mm), or any depth therebetween.
  • the CAZ depth may be between 0.03 inch (0.8 mm) to 1 inch (25.4 mm) or between 0.05 inch (1.3 mm) and 0.75 inch (19.1 mm). In other embodiments, the depth of the CAZ region may be less than 0.01 inch (0.3 mm) or greater than 1 inch (25.4 mm).
  • carburization may be controlled so that the CAZ includes composite metallic particles with a gradient hardness from the center toward the outer boundary of each composite metallic particle.
  • a metallic starting material may be selected where upon diffusion of carbon from a carbon source, the surface of metallic particles in the metallic starting material reacts with the carbon, thereby carburizing the outer boundary of the metallic particles.
  • metallic particles of metallic starting material may become composite metallic particles after carburization from the infiltration process.
  • Composite metallic particles may include, for example, austenite, martensite, and other carbon steel phases.
  • the gradient hardness may increase or decrease from the center toward the outer boundary, depending on the embodiment.
  • a mill cutting structure (e.g., mill cutting structure 322) may be formed by infiltrating metallic starting material (e.g., having at least 98% by weight of at least one metal and/or metal alloy) with an infiltrant at an infiltration temperature less than the solidus temperature of the metallic starting material and greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the infiltrant.
  • the metallic starting material may be loaded into at least one region of a graphite mold of the mill cutting structure and optionally over and/or around at least one pre-formed hard material body.
  • the at least one region of metallic starting material may form, in some embodiments, at least 80% by volume of the infiltrating space of the mold (e.g., the space or volume of the mold excluding the volume filled with pre-formed hard material bodies).
  • the metallic starting material may be positioned adjacent at least a portion of an inner wall of a mold.
  • carbon from the carbon source e.g., graphite mold
  • the CAZ formed along the outer surface of the infiltrated metallic material may have a hardness greater than that of the infiltrated metallic material located interior to the CAZ.
  • the portion of the infiltrating space in the mold filled by the at least one region of metallic starting material may be within a range including lower and/or upper limits including any of 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, 100%, or any value therebetween. While the formation of a CAZ has been described with respect to powdered starting materials placed in a mold, the formation of a CAZ may also occur when starting materials are printed as described herein and surrounded with a carbon source, such as a graphite powder.
  • the size and hardness of the composite metallic particles in the CAZ may at least partially be a function of infiltration temperature and time.
  • the hardness of the composite metallic particles in the CAZ may be between 110% and 300% (between 1.1 and 3.0 times greater than) the hardness of the material in an interior region of an infiltrated metallic body on the HRC scale.
  • the hardness in the CAZ may be between HRC 30.5 and 40.0 (306 and 392 HV), where HRC refers to the hardness on the C scale of the Rockwell hardness test, and HV refers to the hardness on the Vickers hardness scale.
  • the hardness in the interior region may be between HRC 19.5 and 20.0 (234 and 238 HV), and the CAZ may thus have a hardness that is between 150% and 205% the hardness of the interior region of the infiltrated metallic body, on the HRC scale (or between 130% and 170% on the HV scale).
  • the hardness in the CAZ may be between HRC 29.0 and 30.0 (294 and 302 HV) and the hardness in the interior region may be between HRC 24.5 and 25.5 (263 and 269 HV).
  • the hardness of the CAZ may be between 115% and 125% the hardness of the interior region on the HRC scale (or between 110% and 115% on the HV scale).
  • the hardness in a CAZ may be within a range including upper and/or lower limits including any of HRC 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, 35, 37.5, 40, 42.5, 45 (213, 228, 238, 251, 266, 283, 302, 323, 345, 368, 392, 418, 446 HV), or values therebetween.
  • the hardness in the CAZ may be between HRC 15 and 45 (213 and 446 HV), between HRC 20 and 40 (238 and 392 HV), or between HRC 25 and 35 (266 and 345 HV).
  • the hardness in the CAZ may be less than HRC 15 (213 HV) or greater than HRC 45 (446 HV), or the hardness of the composite metallic materials in the CAZ may be less than 110% or greater than 300% the hardness of the interior region on the HRC scale.
  • the difference between the hardness of the CAZ and the interior region may also vary as will be appreciated in view of the differences in hardness as described herein.
  • a metallic starting material (and non-carburized infiltrated metallic particles) may have a hardness within a range including lower and/or upper limits including any of 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800 HV (HRC ⁇ 0, ⁇ 0, ⁇ 0, 11, 29.7, 40.8, 55.3, 64), or any values therebetween, where HRC 0 is about equal to 160 HV.
  • composite metallic particles may have a hardness within a range including lower and/or upper limits including any of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 750, 900, 1000 HV (HRC ⁇ 0, 11, 29.7, 40.8, 49.1, 62.2, 67, 68.6), or any values therebetween.
  • composite metallic particles may have a hardness between 100 and 1000 HV (up to HRC 68.6) or between 100 and 750 HV (up to HRC 62.2).
  • Composite metallic particles having a particle hardness gradient may have a hardness ratio of the hardness at the exterior to the hardness at the center that includes lower and/or upper limits including any of 1: 1, 2:1, 3: 1, 4:1, 5:1, 8:1, 10: 1, or any values therebetween.
  • a hardness ratio may be between 1:1 and 10:1, between 2:1 and 10: 1, between 2:1 and 8: 1, or between 3:1 and 5:1.
  • the described hardness ratio of the exterior of a particle compared to the center may be less than 1:1 (i.e., the center may be harder), or greater than 10:1.
  • composite metallic particles may have a particle hardness gradient, where a center hardness is within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800 HV (HRC ⁇ 0, ⁇ 0, ⁇ 0, 11, 29.7, 40.8, 55.3, 64), or any values therebetween, and an exterior hardness is within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 750, 900, 1000 HV (HRC ⁇ 0, 11, 29.7, 40.8, 49.1, 62.2, 67, 68.6), or any values therebetween.
  • a hardness may decrease from the exterior of the particle toward the center of the particle.
  • composite metallic particles may have a particle hardness gradient with a center hardness within a range between 80 and 200 HV (HRC ⁇ 0 and 11) and an exterior hardness within a range between 500 and 1000 HV (HRC 49.1 and 68.6), and a decreasing hardness from the exterior toward the center.
  • At least one region of a cutting structure support or an entire cutting structure support may be formed of a non-metallic or non-metallic composite starting material.
  • non-metallic starting material may include cermet starting materials, carbide starting materials, ceramic starting materials, and other materials having greater than 10% by weight formed of a non-metallic component.
  • non-metallic starting materials such as cermets may have metal components, they may be referred to as “non-metallic” starting materials or as forming "non-metallic” regions.
  • Ceramic is defined herein as any metal based and/or metal bonded ceramic, and thus, may include metal carbides, metal borides, metal nitrides, or other composite material having both metal and ceramic components. Although some embodiments are described herein using cermet starting material as an example to form non-metallic regions, ceramic starting material may be used in combination with cermet starting material, or instead of cermet starting material, to form the non- metallic regions. Regions of a cutting structure support that are not formed of metallic starting material or have greater than 2% by weight carbon, such as regions formed of cermet starting materials, ceramic starting materials, and other non-metallic composite starting materials or regions having greater than 2% by weight carbon, may be referred to herein as "non-metallic" regions.
  • Carbide starting materials may include a powder or other form of a single carbide material such as tungsten carbide, or it may be a mixture of more than one carbide material such as different forms of tungsten carbide, e.g., macrocrystalline tungsten carbide, cast tungsten carbide, carburized tungsten carbide, agglomerated tungsten carbide, sintered or cemented tungsten carbide, and unsintered or pre- sintered tungsten monocarbide.
  • non-tungsten carbides including vanadium carbide, chromium carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum carbide, niobium carbide, silicon carbide, aluminum carbide, other transition metal carbides, or combinations of the foregoing, may be used.
  • one or more of a carbide, oxide, or nitride of Group IVA, VA, or VIA metals may be used.
  • one or more additional components such as metal additives may be added to a carbide starting material.
  • a metal binder component such as cobalt, nickel, iron, chromium, copper, molybdenum, their alloys, and combinations thereof may be mixed with a carbide, cermet, or ceramic material.
  • At least one starting material may be a metallic starting material made of a metal or metal alloy (e.g., a metallic composition having less than 2% by weight carbon), and at least one starting material may include a cermet or other non- metallic material (e.g., tungsten carbide or another transition metal carbide).
  • at least one starting material may be a transition starting material.
  • the transition starting material may include a mixture of metallic starting material and cermet starting material, and may be located between the metallic starting material and the cermet starting material.
  • an entire mill cutting structure support may be formed of one or more non-metallic regions, where one or more regions of a non-metallic starting material, such as tungsten carbide or other transition metal carbide, is infiltrated adjacent to (and potentially forming an interface with) at least one pre-formed hard material body.
  • a non-metallic starting material such as tungsten carbide or other transition metal carbide
  • material properties of the starting material and infiltrant may be designed and selected for different regions of the cutting structure and/or according to the volume and type of pre-formed hard material bodies used to form cutting elements.
  • the material properties of one or more metal matrix composite regions of a mill cutting structure may be designed by selecting the starting material composition (e.g., starting materials having a selected initial amount of carbon), the type of carbon source (if any), provided during infiltration (e.g., infiltrating in a mold made with carbon containing material such as graphite or graphite and sand, or in a mold having at least a portion of its inner walls coated with a high temperature refractory layer prior to pouring the contents within the mold), the infiltration temperature (including intermediate temperatures between a lowest starting temperature and a highest infiltration temperature, e.g., an intermediate temperature for carburization of a portion of the starting material), and the duration of heating the mill cutting structure assembly during infiltration at selected temperatures.
  • the starting material composition e.g., starting materials having a selected initial amount of carbon
  • the type of carbon source if any
  • provided during infiltration e.g., infiltrating in a mold made with carbon containing material such as graphite or graphite
  • one or more pre-formed hard material bodies may be positioned with the metallic or non-metallic or non-metallic starting materials and heated during infiltration of the starting materials.
  • a pre-formed hard material body (or cutting element or gauge protection element) may be distinguished from the starting materials in various manners.
  • a pre-formed hard material body may have a higher hardness than the starting materials before or after an infiltration process.
  • a starting materials or a support formed by infiltrating the starting materials may have a hardness between HRC 11 and 53 (200 and 560 HV, and the preformed hard material bodies may have a hardness between HRC 56 and 70 (613 and 1076 HV).
  • the pre-formed hard material bodies may have a larger size than particles of the starting materials.
  • the particles may have a mesh size, which in some embodiments may result in the starting material particle size to be between 0.0015 in. (38 ⁇ or 400 mesh) and 0.079 in. (2000 ⁇ or 10 mesh).
  • the average width, length, or thickness of a pre-formed hard material body may be at least 300% the maximum size of the starting material particles, and in some embodiments up to or greater than 2000% the maximum size of the starting material particles.
  • a pre-formed hard material body may have a width of 0.5 in. (12.7 mm), which may be 630% the maximum size of a 10 mesh particle.
  • the ratio of the size of a pre-formed hard material body to a maximum size of the starting material particles may be within a range having lower and/or upper limits including any of 300%, 500%, 750%, 1000%, 1500%, 2000%, or values therebetween. In some embodiments, however, such a ratio may be less than 300% or greater than 2000%.
  • the pre-formed hard material bodies may further be distinguished from particles of the starting materials in the manner in which they interact with the infiltrant or binder. For instance, during infiltration, the infiltrant may infiltrate the starting materials to bond the starting materials to each other. In contrast, in at least some embodiments, the infiltrant may not bond the pre-formed hard material bodies to each other, but instead to the starting materials or support structure.
  • the mill cutting structure 422-1 may include a matrix composite support 412-1 (formed by infiltrating starting metal, ceramic, or cermet material with an infiltrant according to infiltration methods disclosed herein) and a plurality of cutting elements 404-1 arranged on the matrix composite support 412-1.
  • Each cutting element 404-1 may, in this embodiment, include a flank face 438, a trailing face 440, a front face 442 extending from the flank face 438 to the trailing face 440, and a plurality of teeth 444 (or ridges) formed in the front face 440.
  • the cutting elements 404-1 may be bonded to the matrix composite support 412-1 at a planar interface 446-1 during infiltration of the matrix composite support 412-1. In other embodiments, however, one or more cutting elements may be bonded to a matrix composite support non-planar, interlocking, or other types of interfaces, or along multiple planar or non-planar surfaces.
  • FIG. 4-2 is a cross-sectional view of another mill cutting structure 422-2 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the mill cutting structure 422-2 may include a support (e.g., matrix composite support 412-2 formed by infiltrating starting material with an infiltrant) and a plurality of cutting elements 404-2 arranged on the matrix composite support 412-2.
  • Each cutting element 404-2 may have a flank face 438, a trailing face 440, a front face 442 extending from the flank face 438 to the trailing face 440, and a plurality of teeth 444 (or ridges) formed in the front face 442.
  • the cutting elements 404-2 may be positioned adjacent each other such that the flank face 438 of a cutting element 404-2 is in full or partial contact with the trailing face 440 of an adjacent cutting element 404-2.
  • the cutting elements 404-2 may be bonded to the matrix composite support 412-2 at a non-planar interface 446-2 (e.g., during infiltration of the matrix composite support 412-2).
  • the non-planar interface 446-2 includes a dovetail-type interlocking geometry.
  • the dovetail geometry may increase in width moving away from the front face 442, and the matrix composite support 412-2 may have a corresponding recess to receive the dovetail geometry.
  • Such geometry may make it difficult to delaminate or remove the cutting elements 404-2 as the dovetail geometry restricts and potentially prevents not only longitudinal movement (e.g., left- to-right or right-to-left in FIG. 4-2), but also movement away from the matrix composite support (e.g., upward movement in FIG. 4-2).
  • a dovetail is one type of interlocking geometry, but interfaces having interlocking geometries may be formed in various other manners.
  • the non-planar interface 446-2 may be formed, for example, by positioning starting material adjacent to the non-planar geometry of the cutting elements 404-2 (e.g., by pouring or otherwise placing powdered starting material around the interlocking geometry while in mold, by depositing starting material around the interlocking geometry during an additive manufacturing process).
  • the starting material may then be infiltrated with an infiltrant to form the matrix composite support 412-2 (e.g., metal matrix composite support infiltrated with a metal infiltrant) and to bond the pre-formed hard material bodies (e.g., cutting elements 404-2) to the matrix composite support 412-2 at the non-planar interface 446-2.
  • the matrix composite support 412-2 e.g., metal matrix composite support infiltrated with a metal infiltrant
  • pre-formed hard material bodies e.g., cutting elements 404-2
  • Other non-planar interfaces e.g., curved, undulating, protrusions, depressions in the geometry
  • interlocking geometries are within the scope of this disclosure.
  • FIG. 4-3 shows another example of a mill cutting structure 422-3 having a plurality of cutting elements 404-3 bonded or otherwise coupled to a matrix composite support 412-3.
  • each cutting element 404-3 has a front face 448 opposite a non-planar interface 446-3 between the cutting element 404-3 and the matrix composite support 412-3.
  • One or more side surfaces 450 may the periphery of the cutting element 404-3 and extend fully or partially from the front face 448 to the non-planar interface 446-3.
  • non-planar interfaces 446-3 is shown as having one or more curved features; however, in other embodiments, non-planar interfaces may have other curved or defined profiles, e.g., a convex or concave profile.
  • FIG. 4-3 further illustrates an example embodiment in which the cutting elements 404-3 may be at least partially embedded in the matrix composite support 412-3.
  • the side surfaces 450 may be bonded to the matrix composite support 412-3 in some embodiments.
  • the side surfaces 450 may be planar or non-planar.
  • the cutting elements 404-3 may have a generally cylindrical shape similar to shear cutters which are configured to use an edge between the front face 448 and the cylindrical side surface 450 cut or otherwise degrade casing, formation, cement, or other materials during a milling or drilling process.
  • the side surface 450 may include other features.
  • one or more depressions 452 or protrusions 453 may be formed in the side surface 450.
  • the depression 452 or protrusion 453 may extend partially around the circumference of the cutting element 404-2, or it may extend fully around the circumference and have an annular shape.
  • the side surface 450 may also include multiple depressions 452 or protrusions 453 at different heights above the interface 446-3.
  • additional or other features may include curved surfaces, detents, or other features which may be planar, non-planar, interlocking, have other characteristics, or any combination of the foregoing.
  • cutting elements 404-2 may be shear cutting elements
  • cutting elements of embodiments of the present disclosure may have other configurations.
  • cutting elements may have: a generally cylindrical shape and/or a circular cutting edge; conical or other pointed face surfaces; frusto-conical face surfaces; semi-round face surfaces; domed face-surfaces; toothed or ridged face surfaces; other shaped face surfaces; or combinations of the foregoing.
  • a cutting element may be used or designed to cut by shearing, gouging, face milling, turning, or combinations of the foregoing.
  • FIG. 4-4 shows another example of a mill cutting structure 422-4 having a plurality of cutting elements 404-4, 404-5 bonded or otherwise coupled to a matrix composite support 412-4.
  • each cutting element 404-4, 404-5 has a front face 448, 449, respectively, opposite a non-planar interface 446-4 between the respective cutting element 404-4, 404-5 and the matrix composite support 412-4.
  • the non-planar interfaces 446-4 is shown as having a concavely curved profile; however, in other embodiments, non-planar interfaces may have other curved profiles, e.g., a convex profile, multiple concave and/or convex profiles, sinusoidal wave profiles, curved and linear profiles, or combinations of the foregoing.
  • the cutting elements 404-4, 404-5 may be embedded in the matrix composite support 412-4.
  • the front surfaces 448, 449 may be about even with, or offset radially within, the top or other surface of the matrix composite support 412-4.
  • a full portion of the side surfaces of the cutting elements 404-4, 404-5 may be bonded to the matrix composite support 412-4 in some embodiments.
  • the front surfaces 448, 449 may be radially offset outward from the top, front, or other surface of the matrix composite support 412 and partially embedded therein.
  • the front surfaces 448, 449 may be substantially flush with the top or other surface of the matrix composite support 412-4 during manufacture, but such configuration may change during use. For instance, a portion 413 of the matrix composite support 412-4 may wear away to expose a portion of a side surface of the cutting element 404-5.
  • the cutting elements bonded to the matrix composite support 412-4 may include multiple different profiles.
  • one or more cutting elements 404-4 may have a first profile
  • one or more cutting elements 404-5 may have a second profile.
  • One or more other cutting elements may also have third, fourth, or other profiles.
  • the cutting elements 404-4, 404-5 may be pre-formed with their respective, differing profiles when bonded to the matrix composite support 412-4.
  • the cutting elements having the second profile 404-5 may be pre-formed to have the first profile, but then may be modified or subsequently processed after bonding to the matrix composite support 412-4.
  • the illustrated cutting element 404-5 may have had the same profile as the cutting elements 404-4, but the front surface 448 may have been cut or otherwise modified to form the front surface 449.
  • laser etching, laser cutting, electric discharge machining (EDM), or other techniques may be used to cut or otherwise modify the front surfaces 448, 449.
  • each cutting element 404- 4 may be modified to form a cutting element 404-5, although in other embodiments a subset of cutting elements 404-4 may be modified.
  • heating the cutting elements 404-4, 404-5 during bonding to the matrix composite support 412-4 may degrade or otherwise have undesired effects on surfaces of the cutting elements 404-4, 404-5.
  • modifying the surface of the cutting elements 404-4, 404-5 after bonding to the matrix can reduce or even remove heat affected zones, the impacts of thermal shock, and the like.
  • interfaces formed between a cutting element and a matrix composite using methods disclosed herein may have a combination of one or more planar, curved or non-planar geometries forming a non-planar geometry (e.g., interlocking geometry) that may not otherwise be formed using conventional brazing techniques of attaching a cutting element to a support.
  • interface geometries may be formed in some embodiments using infiltration methods of the present disclosure, some embodiments may have other interface geometries (e.g., planar, curved or other non-planar geometries) formed using infiltration methods of the present disclosure, and which are similar to interface geometries used in conventional brazing.
  • interface geometries e.g., planar, curved or other non-planar geometries
  • FIG. 5 shows a micrograph of a cutting element 504 brazed to a support 512.
  • a braze material 508 In between the cutting element 504 and the support 512 is a braze material 508, which couples the cutting element 504 to the support 512.
  • porosity 554 may occur within the braze material 508 due, for example, to the type of braze material, the brazing process used, the amount of braze used, the care/attention by a person performing the braze process, the braze temperature, and the like.
  • FIG. 6 shows a micrograph of a cutting element 604 bonded and coupled directly to a support 612 using an infiltration process in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the support 612 is formed of a matrix composite having a plurality of particles 606 (e.g., metallic particles) bonded together (and potentially within) an infiltration binder 608 (e.g., a metallic binder).
  • the support 612 was formed by infiltrating starting material (forming metallic particles 606) with an infiltrant (forming infiltration binder 608) according to infiltration methods described herein.
  • the infiltration binder 608 bonds the support 612 to the cutting element 604, resulting in a stronger attachment compared to conventional brazing methods.
  • a cutting element e.g., cutting element 604
  • the coating may be used to improve bonding strength and/or protect the cutting element in some manner.
  • the coating may protect surfaces of the cutting element from damage or other effects of cooling, heating, thermal shock, and the like. Any suitable coating may be applied.
  • a nickel coating on a carbide cutting element may protect carbide surfaces.
  • the grade of materials used for the cutting element e.g., carbide grades may affect how heating, cooling, or other processes affect the cutting element.
  • Infiltrating a starting material with an infiltrant having a lower melting temperature to form a mill cutting structure may also suppress self-sintering of the starting material and potentially preserve the particle size of the starting material.
  • self-sintering occurs, starting particles sinter together and the infiltrant may not infiltrate around individual particles of the starting material.
  • a non-uniform microstructure including partially sintered together particles of the starting material may be formed using other methods.
  • the infiltrant may have a melting temperature above, or near, the solidus temperature of the starting material, or at least some self-sintering may occur during infiltration.
  • a mill cutting structure may include at least one cutting element bonded or otherwise coupled to a support made of a plurality of metallic particles interspersed with an infiltration binder.
  • the support may, in some embodiments, have material properties including a yield strength between 40 ksi (275 MPa) and 70 ksi (480 MPa), an ultimate tensile strength between 60 ksi (415 MPa) and 100 ksi (690 MPa), elongation between 5% and 16%, and hardness between HRC 18 (230 HV) and HRC 35 (345 HV).
  • Regions of a generally metallic support may be designed to have selected material compositions such that desired material properties are provided to different regions of the support. For example, a first metallic starting material having a greater hardness than a second metallic starting material may be loaded into a first region of a mold of the support, while the second metallic starting material may be loaded into a second region of the mold.
  • Table 1 shows examples of material properties for conventionally formed supports (before and after brazing one or more cutting elements thereto) and infiltrated metallic supports formed according to some infiltration methods disclosed herein.
  • the lower values of yield strength and hardness presented in Table 1 correspond with the regions of the support that are close to the brazing area.
  • Mill cutting structures according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in downhole cutting tools such as a shown in FIG. 7.
  • a cross-sectional view of a downhole cutting tool 760 is shown having mill cutting structures 704 in accordance with embodiments disclosed herein.
  • the downhole cutting tool 760 may have a body 762 extending in a longitudinal direction from an upper end 764 to a lower end 766.
  • the body 674 may be generally tubular and/or may have a generally circular cross-sectional shape.
  • the downhole cutting tool 760 may include an axial passage 768 extending fully or partially therethrough for the circulation of fluid.
  • the upper end 764 of the body 762 may be internally threaded to define a female or box connection for connecting the body 762 to a drill string or other component of a BHA.
  • the lower end 766 of the body 762 may also be internally threaded to define a female or box connection for connecting the body 672 to further drill string or BHA components.
  • a stabilizer, lead mill, drill collar, bull nose, or the like may be coupled to the lower end 766.
  • the upper and/or lower ends 764, 766 may instead have externally threaded male or pin connections, may have other connections, or may have no connections at all (e.g., the lower end 766 may not be coupled to further BHA or drill string components).
  • the body 762 may have one or more mill cutting structures 722 (e.g., milling blades or knives) coupled thereto.
  • the downhole cutting tool 760 may have between 3 and 8 equi-azimuthally spaced mill cutting structures 722, although fewer than 3 mill cutting structures 722 or more than 8 mill cutting structures 722 may be used, or the mill cutting structures 722 may not be equally spaced about tool 760.
  • the mill cutting structures 722 may include a support 712 bonded or otherwise coupled to one or more cutting elements 704.
  • the cutting elements 704 may face forwardly in the direction of rotation of the downhole cutting tool 760.
  • the downhole cutting tool 760 shown in FIG. 7 has cutting elements 704 arranged axially and radially along each support 712.
  • Each mill cutting structure 722 is shown as radially expanded relative to the body 762.
  • the mill cutting structures 722 may be selectively expandable in some embodiments.
  • the mill cutting structures 722 may selectively expand or retract in response to hydraulic flow rates, hydraulic pressure, downlinking, electronic activation signals, wireless signals, other signals, or any combination of the foregoing.
  • mill cutting structure 722 can encounters severe vibrations and impacts that may lead to cracks in the cutting elements 704. Such cracks may lead to failure of the cutting elements 704, or loss of the cutting elements 704 (e.g., by delamination when attached by a brazing process). Such failure can reduce the life of the downhole cutting tool 760 and, in some tools, may limit or prevent the tool from being used to mill a window of a desired length, to drill through a sidetracked, secondary borehole (through the earth formation) after a window is milled, or the like.
  • mill cutting structures 722 formed according to embodiments of the present disclosure may reduce the damage to the cutting elements, reduce the propagation of cracks, reduce loss of cutting elements, have other effects, or some combination of the foregoing.
  • Mill cutting structures 722 formed according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be used on other downhole tools, and the downhole cutting tool 760 is merely illustrative of example tools in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be used.
  • Embodiments of the present disclosure further extend to use with casing mills, reamers, junk mills, window mills, drill bits, stabilizers, pipe cutter knives, hole openers, other tools (e.g., other tools used with cutting elements, gauge protection elements, or the like), or any combination of the foregoing.
  • other tools e.g., other tools used with cutting elements, gauge protection elements, or the like
  • examples should be considered as a guide for providing clarity in explaining some example mill cutting structures and methods for forming mill cutting structures according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • other shapes and types of mill cutting structures may be formed using the infiltration methods of the present disclosure, for example, depending on the type of tool with which the cutting structures are used.
  • a method of making a cutting structure includes combining cutting structure assembly components, including at least an infiltrant, a non- metallic starting material, and at least one pre-formed hard material body.
  • the cutting structure assembly components are heated to an infiltration temperature lower than a solidus temperature of the non-metallic starting material and greater than or equal to a melting temperature of the infiltrant.
  • the pre-formed hard material body may be a milling cutting element.
  • the non-metallic starting material may include at least one of a cermet, a carbide, or a ceramic starting material.
  • While embodiments of the present disclosure have been primarily described with reference to downhole milling operations, the tools, cutting elements, cutting structures, and the like described herein may be used in applications other than milling within a wellbore.
  • devices according to the present disclosure may be used outside a wellbore or other downhole environment used for the exploration or production of natural resources.
  • devices of the present disclosure may be used in a wellbore used for placement of utility lines, or in connection with other systems, including within automotive, aquatic, aerospace, hydroelectric, manufacturing, other industries, or even in other downhole environments. Accordingly, the terms "wellbore,” “borehole” and the like should not be interpreted to limit tools, systems, assemblies, or methods of the present disclosure to any particular industry, field, or environment.
  • any value may be used as an upper endpoint or limit (e.g., less than the upper limit), any value may be used as a lower endpoint or limit (e.g., at least the lower limit), or any two values may be used to define lower and upper endpoints or limits of the range.

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé de fabrication d'une structure de découpe de fraiseuse, comprenant la combinaison d'éléments d'ensemble structure de découpe, comprenant un matériau infiltrant, un matériau de départ métallique et au moins un corps en matériau dur préformé. Les éléments d'ensemble structure de découpe sont chauffés ensemble à une température d'infiltration inférieure à la température de solidus du matériau de départ métallique et supérieure ou égale à la température de fusion du matériau infiltrant.
PCT/US2016/041810 2015-07-16 2016-07-11 Outils de découpe infiltrés et procédés s'y rapportant WO2017011415A1 (fr)

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US20070092727A1 (en) * 2004-06-01 2007-04-26 Ceratizit Austria Gesellschaft Mbh Wear part formed of a diamond-containing composite material, and production method
US20100288821A1 (en) * 2005-04-14 2010-11-18 Ladi Ram L Matrix Drill Bits and Method of Manufacture
US20100006345A1 (en) * 2008-07-09 2010-01-14 Stevens John H Infiltrated, machined carbide drill bit body
US20140178139A1 (en) * 2012-12-21 2014-06-26 Korea Institute Of Machinery And Materials Method of manufacturing super hard alloy containing carbon nanotubes, super hard alloy manufactured using same, and cutting tool comprising super hard alloy

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP4015108A1 (fr) * 2020-12-15 2022-06-22 Hilti Aktiengesellschaft Procédé de fabrication d'un segment d'usinage
WO2022128907A1 (fr) * 2020-12-15 2022-06-23 Hilti Aktiengesellschaft Procédé de production de segment d'usinage
US20230366272A1 (en) * 2022-05-10 2023-11-16 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Fabricating drill bits

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