A polycrystalline diamond construction has a body of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) material; and a cemented carbide substrate bonded to the body of polycrystalline material along an interface. The cemented carbide substrate includes tungsten carbide particles bonded together by a binder material, the binder material comprising an alloy of Co, Ni and Cr; and the tungsten carbide particles form at least around 70 weight percent and at most around 95 weight percent of the substrate. The cemented carbide substrate has a bulk volume, the bulk volume of the cemented carbide substrate has at least around 0.1 vol. % of inclusions of free carbon having a largest average size in any one or more dimensions of less than around 40 microns.

Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”), methods of fabricating PDCs, and applications for such PDCs. In an embodiment, a method includes providing an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) body. A residual amount of acid may remain in and/or on the at least partially leached PCD body. The method further includes removing and/or neutralizing at least some of the residual amount of acid from the at least partially leached PCD body and/or a substrate to which the at least partially leached PCD body is attached.

A method of forming a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may include directing at least one energy beam at a surface of a volume of polycrystalline superabrasive material including interstitial material disposed in regions between inter-bonded grains of polycrystalline superabrasive material. The method includes ablating the interstitial material with the at least one energy beam such that at least a portion of the interstitial material is removed from a first region of the volume of polycrystalline superabrasive material without any substantial degradation of the inter-bonded grains of superabrasive material or of bonds thereof in the first region.

Methods for forming a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bit from catalyst-free synthesized polycrystalline diamonds are described. The polycrystalline diamonds are deposited within a mold. In some cases, a matrix body material is deposited within the mold, and an infiltration process is performed to bond the polycrystalline diamonds to the matrix body material to form the PDC drill bit. In some cases, a drill bit body is formed within the mold, and forming the drill bit body within the mold includes depositing a layer of matrix body material particles within the mold, depositing an adhesive ink within the mold, and curing the adhesive ink. In some cases, a sintering process is performed after forming the drill bit body to remove at least a portion of the adhesive ink and increase a density of the drill bit body to form the PDC drill bit.

A drill bit for subterranean drilling operations is disclosed. The drill bit comprises a drill bit body with one or more blades. The drill bit further comprises a plurality of primary cutters, each primary cutter located on at least one blade, and a plurality of secondary cutters, each secondary cutter located on at least one blade other than the blade on which the primary cutters are located.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to overmolded protective leaching masks, and methods of manufacturing and using the same for leaching superabrasive elements such as polycrystalline diamond elements. In an embodiment, a protective leaching mask assembly includes a superabrasive element including a central axis and a superabrasive table, and a protective mask overmolded onto at least a portion of the superabrasive element. The protective mask includes a base portion and at least one sidewall extending from the base portion and defining an opening generally opposite the base portion. The at least one sidewall includes an inner surface configured to abut with a selected portion of the superabrasive element being chemically resistant to a leaching agent and an outer surface sloping at an oblique angle relative to the central axis.

A polycrystalline super hard construction comprises a body of polycrystalline super hard material and a substrate bonded to the body along an interface. The substrate a first end surface forming the interface, the first end surface comprising a projection extending from the body of the substrate into the body of super hard material towards the cutting face, the body of polycrystalline material extending around the projection. The body of polycrystalline material comprises a first region more thermally stable than a second region, the first region comprising an annular portion located around the projection, the second region extending between and bonding the first region to the substrate. The first region has a thickness from the cutting face along the peripheral side edge to the interface of at least around 3 mm and a portion of the projection has a thickness measured in a plane extending along the longitudinal axis of at least around 3 mm.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to protective leaching masks, and methods of manufacturing and using the same for leaching superabrasive elements such as polycrystalline diamond elements. In an embodiment, a protective leaching mask assembly includes a superabrasive element including a central axis and a superabrasive table, and a protective mask formed to protect at least a portion of the superabrasive element. The protective mask includes a base portion and at least one sidewall extending from the base portion and defining an opening generally opposite the base portion. The at least one sidewall includes an inner surface configured to abut with a selected portion of the superabrasive element being chemically resistant to a leaching agent and an outer surface sloping at an oblique angle relative to the central axis.

Material removal systems including milling drum and milling-drumless products, systems, manufactures, and methods for removing material, such as concrete or asphalt, or industrial flowing applications may be augmented with manufactures that provide one or more of an alignment feature for controlling orientation of abrasive elements and manufactures that provide destructive interference and durability of abrasive elements during operation. Manufactures and methods of fabricating manufactures are provided. The method allows configurations of matched pairs of individual abrasive elements to be easily made to a variety of applications in a parametric, semi-parametric, or non-parametric manner, and may provide one or more of an alignment feature for controlling orientation of abrasive elements and sinusoidal, near-sinusoidal or non-sinusoidal destructive interference effects, while providing durability of abrasive elements during operation.

The disclosed technology includes a cutting tool comprising segments arranged around a periphery of a cutting tool. Each segment, of the plurality of segments comprising a first portion comprising a first material having a first hardness, a second portion comprising a second material having a second hardness, the second hardness being less than the first hardness, and a transition region. The transition region can include at least part of the first material and at least part of the second material. The transition region can have an overall third hardness that is less than the first hardness and greater than the second hardness. A first segment and a second segment of the plurality of segments can be attached to the periphery of the cutting tool such that at least the first portion of the first segment is aligned in a cutting direction with the second portion of the second segment.