High-strength, high-hardness binders and drilling tools formed using the same

Abstract

Implementations of the present invention include a binder with high hardness and tensile strength that allows for the creation of drilling tools with increased wear resistance. In particular, one or more implementations include a binder having about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel, about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc, and about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin. Implementations of the present invention also include drilling tools, such as reamers and drill bits, formed from such binders.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A high hardness binder for infiltrating a hard particulate material to form a drilling tool, comprising:
 about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 25 to about 60 weight % of zinc; and   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin;   wherein the binder:
 has a liquidus temperature of less than about 1100 degrees Celsius, and a hardness between about 75 HRB and about 40 HRC. 
   
     
     
         2 . The binder as recited in  claim 1 , a tensile strength between about 35 ksi and about 80 ksi. 
     
     
         3 . The binder as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises about 15 to about 50 weight % of nickel. 
     
     
         4 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the binder consists of:
 about 15 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc;   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin; and   about 0 to about 20 weight % of additional components.   
     
     
         5 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the additional components comprise one or more of aluminum, iron, lead, manganese, silicon, phosphorous, boron, silver, gold, or gallium. 
     
     
         6 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the binder consists essentially of nickel, zinc, and tin. 
     
     
         7 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the binder further comprises about 0 to about 60 weight % of copper. 
     
     
         8 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the binder consists of:
 about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc;   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin;   about 0 to about 60 weight % of copper; and   about 0 to about 20 weight % of additional components.   
     
     
         9 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the binder consists essentially of nickel, zinc, tin, and copper. 
     
     
         10 . A body of a drilling tool, comprising:
 a hard particulate material; and   a binder, the binder comprising:   about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc; and   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin.   
     
     
         11 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the binder comprises about 15 to about 50 weight % of nickel. 
     
     
         12 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the binder consists of:
 about 15 to about 5 0  weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc;   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin; and   about 0 to about 20 weight % of additional components.   
     
     
         13 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the additional components comprise one or more of aluminum, iron, lead, manganese, silicon, phosphorous, boron, silver, gold, or gallium. 
     
     
         14 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the binder consists essentially of nickel, zinc, and tin. 
     
     
         15 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the binder further comprises about 0 to about 60 weight % of copper. 
     
     
         16 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the binder consists of:
 about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc;   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin;   about 0 to about 60 weight % of copper; and   about 0 to about 20 weight % of additional components.   
     
     
         17 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the binder consists essentially of nickel, zinc, tin, and copper. 
     
     
         18 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the drilling tool comprises one of a reamer, a reaming shell, a surface set drill bit, a PCD drill bit, or a diamond impregnated drill bit. 
     
     
         19 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of abrasive cutting media dispersed throughout the body. 
     
     
         20 . The body of a drilling tool as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the abrasive cutting media comprise one or more of natural diamonds, synthetic diamonds, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, tungsten carbide, cubic boron nitride, alumina, or seeded or unseeded sol-gel alumina. 
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a drilling tool with increased wear resistance, comprising:
 providing a matrix comprising a hard particulate material;   positioning a binder proximate the hard particulate material, the binder comprising about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel, about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc, and about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin; and   infiltrating the matrix with the binder by heating the matrix and binder to a temperature of no greater than about 1200 degrees Celsius.   
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising:
 dispersing a plurality of abrasive cutting media throughout the matrix prior to infiltrating the matrix;   wherein the abrasive cutting media comprise one or more of natural diamonds, synthetic diamonds, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, tungsten carbide, cubic boron nitride, alumina, or seeded or unseeded sol-gel alumina.   
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the binder consists of:
 about 5 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc;   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin;   about 0 to about 60 weight % of copper; and   about 0 to about 20 weight % of additional components.   
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the binder consists of:
 about 15 to about 50 weight % of nickel;   about 35 to about 60 weight % of zinc;   about 0.5 to about 35 weight % of tin; and   about 0 to about 20 weight % of additional components.   
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 23 , wherein the additional components comprise one or more of aluminum, iron, lead, manganese, silicon, phosphorous, boron, silver, gold, or gallium.