Methods and compositions for brazing, and earth-boring tools formed from such methods and compositions

Abstract

A method includes disposing a braze material between a first body and a second body. The braze material includes a first composition and a second composition. The second composition has a melting point higher than the first composition. The braze material may be heated to a brazing temperature between the melting points of the first and second materials and maintaining the braze material at the brazing temperature for a period of time to transform a transient liquid phase to a solid phase, forming a bond between the first body and the second body. A braze material for securing solid bodies includes a first composition and a second composition. The first composition includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, zinc, and magnesium. An earth-boring tool includes a first body, a second body, and a braze material bonding the second body to the first body.

1 . A braze material comprising:
 a first composition comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, zinc, and magnesium, the first composition exhibiting a first melting point; and   a second composition exhibiting a second melting point higher than the first melting point;   wherein a solid solution of the first composition and the second composition exhibits a melting point between the first melting point and the second melting point.   
     
     
         2 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the first composition comprises an element selected from the group consisting of indium and tin. 
     
     
         3 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the second composition comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, manganese, nickel, titanium, cobalt, and aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the first composition comprises a first plurality of particles, and the second composition comprises a second plurality of particles interspersed with the first plurality of particles. 
     
     
         5 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the first composition comprises a first layer of material and the second composition comprises a second layer of material. 
     
     
         6 . The braze material of  claim 1 , further comprising an organic binder material. 
     
     
         7 . An earth-boring tool, comprising:
 a first body;   a second body; and   a braze material bonding the second body to the first body, the braze material comprising silver, copper, at least one element selected from the group consisting of nickel and titanium, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, zinc, and magnesium.   
     
     
         8 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 7 , wherein the first body comprises a bit body. 
     
     
         9 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 7 , wherein the second body comprises a polycrystalline material. 
     
     
         10 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 9 , wherein the polycrystalline material comprises polycrystalline diamond. 
     
     
         11 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 10 , wherein the polycrystalline diamond comprises a diamond table, and wherein the first body comprises a tungsten carbide substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 9 , wherein the polycrystalline material comprises cubic boron nitride. 
     
     
         13 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 7 , wherein the braze material comprises a solid substantially free of intermetallic compounds. 
     
     
         14 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 7 , wherein the bit body comprises a metal matrix material. 
     
     
         15 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the first composition comprises indium and the second composition comprises nickel and cobalt. 
     
     
         16 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the first composition comprises tin and the second composition comprises nickel and cobalt. 
     
     
         17 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the braze material comprises from about 50% to about 70% silver by weight and from about 4% to about 20% copper by weight. 
     
     
         18 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the braze material comprises from about 20% to about 35% elements selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, zinc, and magnesium by weight. 
     
     
         19 . The braze material of  claim 1 , wherein the braze material comprises from about 28% to about 31% by weight of the first composition and from about 69% to about 72% by weight of the second composition. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming an earth-boring tool, comprising bonding a first body to a second body with a braze material, the braze material comprising silver, copper, at least one element selected from the group consisting of nickel and titanium, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of indium, tin, zinc, and magnesium.