Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) including a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table in which a metal-solvent catalyst is alloyed with at least one alloying element to improve thermal stability of the PCD table. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a substrate and a PCD table bonded to the substrate. The PCD table includes diamond grains defining interstitial regions. The PCD table includes an alloy comprising at least one Group VIII metal and at least one metallic alloying element that lowers a temperature at which melting of the at least one Group VIII metal begins. The alloy includes one or more solid solution phases comprising the at least one Group VIII metal and the at least one metallic alloying element and one or more intermediate compounds comprising the at least one Group VIII metal and the at least one metallic alloying element.

A method for making tungsten-alloy nanoparticles that are useful for fuel cell applications includes a step of combining a solvent system and a surfactant to form a first mixture. A tungsten precursor is introduced into the first mixture to form a tungsten precursor suspension. The tungsten precursor suspension is heated to form tungsten nanoparticles. The tungsten nanoparticles are combined with carbon particles to form carbon-nanoparticle composite particles. The carbon-nanoparticle composite particles are combined with a metal salt to form carbon-nanoparticle composite particles with adhered metal salt, the metal salt including a metal other than tungsten. The third solvent system is then removed. A two-stage heat treatment is applied to the carbon-nanoparticle composite particles with adhered metal salt to form carbon supported tungsten-alloy nanoparticles. A method for making carbon supported tungsten alloys by reducing a tungsten salt and a metal salt is also provided.

A method for making tungsten-alloy nanoparticles that are useful for fuel cell applications includes a step of combining a solvent system and a surfactant to form a first mixture. A tungsten precursor is introduced into the first mixture to form a tungsten precursor suspension. The tungsten precursor suspension is heated to form tungsten nanoparticles. The tungsten nanoparticles are combined with carbon particles to form carbon-nanoparticle composite particles. The carbon-nanoparticle composite particles are combined with a metal salt to form carbon-nanoparticle composite particles with adhered metal salt, the metal salt including a metal other than tungsten. The third solvent system is then removed. A two-stage heat treatment is applied to the carbon-nanoparticle composite particles with adhered metal salt to form carbon supported tungsten-alloy nanoparticles. A method for making carbon supported tungsten alloys by reducing a tungsten salt and a metal salt is also provided.

A cutter assembly for a cutting tool has a super-hard volume of super-hard material having a proximal end and a distal end and including a cavity; and a cover member. The super-hard volume has a super-hard surface at the distal end including a cutting edge. The cavity has a cavity open end at the distal end. The super-hard surface includes a cavity peripheral area coterminous with the cavity open end and the cover member has a cover peripheral area configured to mate with the cavity peripheral area to allow the cover member to cover the cavity at the cavity open end, the covered cavity providing a housing chamber within the super-hard volume. A method of making a cutter assembly is also disclosed.

A cutter assembly for a cutting tool has a super-hard volume of super-hard material having a proximal end and a distal end and including a cavity; and a cover member. The super-hard volume has a super-hard surface at the distal end including a cutting edge. The cavity has a cavity open end at the distal end. The super-hard surface includes a cavity peripheral area coterminous with the cavity open end and the cover member has a cover peripheral area configured to mate with the cavity peripheral area to allow the cover member to cover the cavity at the cavity open end, the covered cavity providing a housing chamber within the super-hard volume. A method of making a cutter assembly is also disclosed.

The method for forming cutters includes applying a protective layer on an O-ring so as to form a protected O-ring. The protected O-ring is placed around a cutter body having a substrate section and diamond section with a metallic binder. The method includes inserting the cutter body into the pod cavity and leaching the metallic binder through an end portion of the diamond section for at least one day at 60 degrees Celsius or higher so as to form a polycrystalline diamond compact cutter from the cutter body. The protected O-ring seals the substrate section during the step of leaching. The step of leaching forms an exposed O-ring from the protected O-ring with a hardness reduction and a modulus reduction that identifies a time window for maintaining a sealing force to protect the substrate, while achieving the target profile of the diamond table for a high quality and reliable cutter.

A method of making a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), material is provided. The matrix precursor powder comprises an aluminium compound. The method comprises mixing matrix precursor powder comprising particles having an average particle size no greater than 250 nm, with between 30 and 40 volume percent of cubic boron nitride (cBN) particles having an average particle size of at least 4 μm, and then spark plasma sintering the mixed particles. The spark plasma sintering occurs at a pressure of at least 500 MPa, a temperature of no less than 1050° C. and no more than 1500° C. and a time of no less than 1 minute and no more than 3 minutes.

A method of forming a supporting substrate for a cutting element comprises forming a precursor composition comprising discrete WC particles, a binding agent, and discrete particles comprising Co, one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn, and one or more of C and W. The precursor composition is subjected to a consolidation process to form a consolidated structure including WC particles dispersed in a homogenized binder comprising Co, W, C, and one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn. A method of forming a cutting element, a cutting element, a related structure, and an earth-boring tool are also described.

A method of forming a supporting substrate for a cutting element comprises forming a precursor composition comprising discrete WC particles, a binding agent, and discrete particles comprising Co, one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn, and one or more of C and W. The precursor composition is subjected to a consolidation process to form a consolidated structure including WC particles dispersed in a homogenized binder comprising Co, W, C, and one or more of Al, Be, Ga, Ge, Si, and Sn. A method of forming a cutting element, a cutting element, a related structure, and an earth-boring tool are also described.

A cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: more than or equal to 85 volume % and less than 100 volume % of cubic boron nitride grains; and a remainder of a binder, wherein the binder includes WC, Co and an Al compound, and when a TEM-EDX is used to analyze an interface region including an interface at which the cubic boron nitride grains are adjacent to each other, oxygen exists on a whole or part of the interface, and a width D of a region in which the oxygen exists is more than or equal to 0.1 nm and less than or equal to 10 nm.