A method of producing a component of a composite of diamond and a binder, wherein a Hot Isostatic gas Pressure process (HIP) is used, includes the step of enclosing a de-bound green body having compacted diamond particles in an infiltrant. The method includes the further steps of enclosing the de-bound green body and the infiltrant in a Zr-capsule that has Zirconium as a main constituent and sealing the Zr-capsule, and applying a predetermined pressure-temperature cycle on the unit formed by the de-bound green body, infiltrant and capsule in which the infiltrant infiltrates the de-bound green body and the de-bound green body is further densified in the sense that the volume thereof is decreased.

Systems and methods are directed to selecting unpolished regular-polygonal diamonds; selecting diamond powder based on size, profile and hardness to use as acceleration media; and polishing the regular-polygonal diamonds by accelerating at least the diamond powder using a plurality of spray patterns determined as a function of the respective hardnesses of the diamond powder and the unpolished regular-polygonal diamond, the spray patterns directed at the unpolished regular-polygonal diamonds. The method further includes accelerating the regular-polygonal diamonds and the diamond powder to create the spray patterns; directing the spray patterns so that they overlap causing the diamond powder to polish the regular polygonal diamonds; separating the regular-polygonal diamond from the diamond powder; and repeating the steps of accelerating the regular polygonal diamonds and the diamond powder and the separating until the regular-polygonal diamond is polished.

A capsule assembly for an ultra-high pressure furnace, comprising a containment tube having an interior side surface and defining a central longitudinal axis; a chamber suitable for accommodating a reaction assembly, a proximate and a distal end heater assembly, and a side heater assembly. When assembled, the chamber is contained within the containment tube and arranged longitudinally between the proximate and distal end heater assemblies. The side heater assembly is disposed adjacent the interior side surface and electrically connects the end heater assemblies with each other. Each end heater assembly has a respective peripheral side disposed adjacent the interior side surface Heat is produced in the chamber in response to an electric current flowing through the end and side heater assemblies. At least a proximate side heater barrier spaces apart the side heater assembly from at least the proximate end heater assembly, adjacent its peripheral side, operative to prevent a portion of the side heater assembly from intruding between the peripheral side of the proximate end heater assembly and the containment tube and short-circuiting at least part of the proximate end heater assembly, when the end heater assemblies move towards each other in response to a force applied by the ultra-high pressure furnace onto the capsule assembly along the central longitudinal axis.

Large-scale manufacturing of gallium nitride boules using m-plane or wedge-shaped seed crystals can be accomplished using ammonothermal growth methods. Large-area single crystal seed plates are suspended in a rack, placed in a large diameter autoclave or internally-heated high pressure apparatus along with ammonia and a mineralizer, and crystals are grown ammonothermally. The orientation of the m-plane or wedge-shaped seed crystals are chosen to provide efficient utilization of the seed plates and of the volume inside the autoclave or high pressure apparatus.

A capsule assembly for an ultra-high pressure furnace, comprising a containment tube defining a central longitudinal axis, a chamber suitable for accommodating a reaction assembly, a proximate and a distal end heater assembly, and a side heater assembly. When assembled, the chamber and the side heater assembly are contained within the containment tube and arranged longitudinally between the proximate and distal end heater assemblies. Each end heater assembly comprises a respective conduction volume forming a respective electrical path through the end heat assembly. The side heater assembly electrically connects the respective conducting volumes to each other, and heat is produced in the chamber in response to an electric current flowing through the side heater assembly and the conducting volumes. At least the proximate end heater assembly comprises a first insulation component including an outer insulation volume. The conducting volume of at least the proximate end heater assembly includes an inner conducting volume, and the inner conducting volume is laterally spaced apart from the containment tube by the outer insulation volume.

Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of forming polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs), wherein the PDC includes a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) table in which at least one Group VIII metal is at least partially alloyed with phosphorus and/or at least one other alloying element to improve the thermal stability of the PCD table. The disclosed PDCs may be used in a variety of applications, such as rotary drill bits, machining equipment, and other articles and apparatuses.

A pressure booster having two cylinders with two pistons, connected such that they operate simultaneously, which can be mounted in a multi-chamber containing simple pressure boosters nested that can be used to increase the pressure depending on the simple boosters being used is provided.

HPHT press system includes a thermal insulation layer. The thermal insulation layer includes CsCl, CsBr, CsI, or a combination thereof, and the thermal insulation layer is electrically insulating. The thermal insulation layer may include a thermal insulation sleeve and/or a thermal insulation button for an HPHT cell.

A polycrystalline diamond (PCD) compact and method for making the compact are provided. The method includes bringing a first PCD wafer and a second PCD wafer together at an interface in the presence of a bonding agent to form an unbonded assembly and bonding the wafers together at the interface at a pressure and temperature at which diamond is thermodynamically stable. The first PCD wafer is more thermally stable than the second PCD wafer.

A polycrystalline diamond body contains diamond particles, the diamond particles have a mean particle size of 50 nm or less, and a crack initiation load is 10 N or more as measured in a fracture strength test by pressing a diamond indenter D with a tip radius Dr of 50 m against a surface of the polycrystalline diamond body at a load rate F of 100 N/min. Accordingly, a polycrystalline diamond body that is tough and has a small diamond particle size, a cutting tool, a wear-resistant tool, a grinding tool, and a method for producing the polycrystalline diamond body are provided.