Various shaped abrasive particles are disclosed. Each shaped abrasive particle includes a body having at least one major surface and another surface extending from the major surface.

Methods for manufacturing a matrix tool body comprising placing a first matrix material within a first region of a mold cavity proximate a surface of the mold. A second matrix material may be placed within a second region of the mold cavity positioned inwardly of the first matrix material. The first matrix material and the second matrix material comprise a plurality of hard particles. The plurality of hard particles of the second matrix material have a median particle size that is less than the median particle size of the first matrix material. The plurality of hard particles of the first matrix material and the second matrix material are infiltrated with an infiltration binder to form the tool body. Also included are tool bodies having one or more regions proximate a surface of the tool body comprising an erosion resistant matrix material and/or a wear resistant matrix material.

A superhard polycrystalline construction comprises a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a structure comprising superhard material, the structure having porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume. A method of forming such a superhard polycrystalline construction comprises forming a skeleton structure of a first material having a plurality of voids, at least partially filling some or all of the voids with a second material to form a pre-sinter assembly, and treating the pre-sinter assembly to sinter together grains of superhard material to form a body of polycrystalline superhard material comprising a first region of superhard grains, and an interpenetrating second region; the second region being formed of the other of the first or second material that does not comprise the superhard grains; the superhard grains forming a sintered structure having a porosity greater than 20% by volume and up to around 80% by volume.

A polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC), which is attached or bonded to a substrate to form a cutter for a drill bit, is comprised of sintered polycrystalline diamond interspersed with a seed material which has a hexagonal close packed (HCP) crystalline structure. A region of the sintered polycrystalline diamond structure, near one or more of its working surfaces, which has been seeded with an HCP seed material prior to sintering, is leached to remove catalyst. Selectively seeding portions or regions of a sintered polycrystalline diamond structure permits differing leach rates to form leached regions with differing distances or depths and geometries.

A superabrasive cutter and a method of making the superabrasive cutter are disclosed. The superabrasive cutter may comprise a plurality of polycrystalline superabrasive particles and about 0.01% to about 4% by weight of the superabrasive particles of a dopant as evaluated prior to a high pressure/high temperature process. The dopant may be immiscible with a catalyst for forming the polycrystalline superabrasive particles.

Methods of forming a polycrystalline compact using at least one metal salt as a sintering aid. Such methods may include forming a mixture of the at least one metal salt and a plurality of grains of hard material and sintering the mixture to form a hard polycrystalline material. During sintering, the metal salt may melt or react with another compound to form a liquid that acts as a lubricant to promote rearrangement and packing of the grains of hard material. The metal salt may, thus, enable formation of hard polycrystalline material having increased density, abrasion resistance, or strength. The metal salt may also act as a getter to remove impurities (e.g., catalyst material) during sintering. The methods may also be employed to form cutting elements and earth-boring tools.

Various shaped abrasive particles are disclosed. Each shaped abrasive particle includes a body having at least one major surface and a side surface extending from the major surface.

Various shaped abrasive particles are disclosed. Each shaped abrasive particle includes a body having at least one major surface and a side surface extending from the major surface.

Cutting elements include at least one metal diffused into interbonded grains of diamond. Earth-boring tools include at least one such cutting element. Methods of forming cutting elements may include forming a mixture of the at least one metal salt and a plurality of grains of hard material and sintering the mixture to form a hard polycrystalline material. During sintering, the metal salt may melt or react with another compound to form a liquid that acts as a lubricant to promote rearrangement and packing of the grains of hard material. The metal salt may, thus, enable formation of hard polycrystalline material having increased density, abrasion resistance, or strength. The metal salt may also act as a getter to remove impurities (e.g., catalyst material) during sintering. The methods may also be employed to form cutting elements and earth-boring tools.

An article includes a package including a packaging material defining an enclosed volume, wherein a desiccant and a bonded abrasive article are contained within the enclosed volume. In an embodiment, the desiccant comprises calcium ions in an amount of at least 7600 ppm of a total weight of the desiccant. In another embodiment, the bonded abrasive article has a moisture uptake of at most 0.3% when exposed to 90% relative humidity at 40 C. for 24 days.