Intermetallic bonded diamond composite composition and methods of forming articles from same

Abstract

An intermetallic bonded diamond composite composition and methods of processing such a composition are provided by the present invention. The intermetallic bonded diamond composite composition preferably comprises a nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al) binder and diamond particles dispersed within the nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al) binder. Additionally, the composite composition has a processing temperature of at least about 1,200.degree. C. and is processed such that the diamond particles remain intact and are not converted to graphite or vaporized by the high-temperature process. Methods of forming the composite composition are also provided that generally comprise the steps of milling, pressing, and sintering the high-temperature intermetallic binder and diamond particles.

1 . A process of forming an inter-metallic-bonded diamond composite, comprising the steps of:
 (a) milling an intermetallic binder and diamond particles;   (b) pressing the intermetallic binder and diamond particles; and   (c) sintering the intermetallic binder and diamond particles at a processing temperature of at least about 1,200 degrees C.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of milling comprises wet milling in solvent. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 2 , further comprising the step of drying the milled intermetallic binder and diamond particles before the pressing of step (b). 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of screening the milled intermetallic binder and diamond particles through a mesh before the pressing of step (b). 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of sintering the intermetallic binder and diamond particles is selected from a group consisting of continuous sintering, vacuum sintering, vacuum-pressure sintering, hot pressing, and hot isostatic pressing. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermetallic binder is an alloy selected from a group consisting of nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al), nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al) and TiC (titanium carbide), nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al) and boron (B), nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al) and molybdenum (Mo), nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al), boron (B), and molybdenum (Mo), and nickel aluminide (Ni.sub.3Al), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), and titanium carbide (TiC). 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles comprise between approximately 20% and approximately 70% by weight of the composition. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the diamond particles range between approximately 1 and approximately 140 microns in size.