Wear Element for Downhole Tool with a Cold-Pressed Graphite Wear Layer

• Main Authors: BOWDEN NEAL ALAN, DUBOSE WILLIAM HENRY, DAMIAN THOMAS ALAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.07.2014
• Subjects: EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; GRINDING; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; MINING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POLISHING; TOOLS FOR GRINDING, BUFFING, OR SHARPENING; TRANSPORTING

A wear element for a downhole, earth cutting tool for forming bore holes comprises a wear layer made of "cold pressed graphite" attached to a substrate comprised of, for example, a cemented metal carbide. Cold pressed graphite is, depending on the arrangement of carbon bonds, also referred to as M-carbon or W-carbon, cbt-c4, Z-Carbon and others. The wear element is formed by pressing with a previously formed cemented carbide substrate particles of one or more carbon allotropes, including, for example, SP2 bonded carbon allotropes, such as Fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphite, at pressures in excess of 1,000,000 pounds per square inch, or 6.89 Gigapascals, at a temperature substantially below 600 degrees Celsius.