Stabilizers and bearings for extreme wear applications

Downhole tools such as bearing assemblies and stabilizers are described for withstanding abrasive and erosive wear in operation. These stabilizers and bearing assemblies employ wear-resistant hard materials such as TSP, PCD, leached WC, and SCD composite materials. A bond between a braze material and wear tiles constructed of a hard phase material may include a non-planar interface with the braze material. Self-lubricating materials may be provided within the braze material or the hard material in some instances.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to equipment useful in operations related to subterranean wellbores, e.g., wellbores employed for oil and gas exploration, drilling and production. More particularly, embodiments of the disclosure relate to components of a drilling assembly that withstand erosive and corrosive wear.

Downhole dulling tools include turbines or Turbodrills, which are high-speed rotating machines used to drive drill bits in hard rock drilling applications. Turbodrills are typically about 10-12 meters in length, with long drive-shafts that transmit the power generated from the drilling fluid passing through the turbine blades to the drill bit. To ensure proper guidance and dynamic control of the rotating shafts mud lubricated radial guide bearings are staged at intervals along the shaft length. Mud lubrication of these bearings is preferred as the mud passing through the tool also cools and flushes the bearing surfaces. Drilling muds generally contain solids materials, which can in themselves be abrasive, but may also contain fine debris recirculated from the drill bit. Consequently, mud lubricated bearings are subject to wear and tear due in part to the presence of abradants in the mud.

Stabilizers are often provided to centralize the turbodrill in the wellbore. The stabilizers protrude from an outer surface of the turbodrill and abrasively engage the wall of the wellbore to help keep the drill bit oriented in a desired direction. As mud is recirculated from the drill bit, the stabilizers are also exposed to mudflow and the associated wear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure includes downhole tools and devices such as bearings, stabilizers, and other wear surfaces which are subject to abrasive wear in operation (e.g., a kick plate for a rotary steerable system (RSS)). These stabilizers, beatings and downhole devices employ wear-resistant hard materials, which may have various types of microstructures. For example, spherical cast carbide in a Nickel based matrix may be used, and/or sintered HIPed (hot isostatically pressed) tiles may be employed to increase the abrasive wear resistance in either a nickel or copper based matrix. In some instances, the hard phase (the wear tiles) and/or the matrix is reinforced to ensure the bond between the tiles and the matrix does not fail in operation. For example, the tiles may be constructed of a thermally stable silicon-diamond composite material, and/or may be provided with non-planar surfaces to enhance the bond strength with the matrix. The braze alloy or matrix may include encapsulated diamond particles, which may remain hard through the brazing process since the encapsulation protects the diamond from graphitization due to the heat involved in the brazing process. In other instances, the matrix may include various materials that lubricate the bearing or stabilizer when exposed by wear. In still other instances the wear tiles may be constructed of tungsten carbide (WC), and the tungsten carbide may be coated or pre-processed to enhance durability. For instance, pre-leached tungsten carbide may permit the matrix material to enter voids defined in the tungsten carbide, which will improve the bond with the matrix material.

FIG. 1is a cross-sectional schematic side-view of a wellbore system10including a downhole tool such as a turbodrill100. The wellbore system10is illustrated as a terrestrial drilling system for creating a wellbore12through a geologic formation “G.” In other embodiments (not shown) the turbodrill100may be employed in other systems such as offshore systems or systems in wellbores having alternate orientations. The turbodrill100may operate to receive mudflow and extract energy from the mudflow to turn a drill bit14as recognized by those skilled in the art.

The wellbore12being drilled by the wellbore system10is a directional wellbore12in accordance with example embodiments of the disclosure. The wellbore12extends from a surface location “S” through a geologic formation “G” along a curved longitudinal axis X1to define a vertical section12a, a build section12band a tangent section12c. The tangent section12cis the deepest section of the wellbore12, and generally exhibits lower build rates (changes in the inclination of the wellbore12) than the build section12b. In other embodiments, the wellbore12may be vertical or may be arranged in any other orientation.

Drill bit14is a rotary drill bit14provided at a down-hole location in the wellbore12(illustrated in the tangent section12c) for cutting into the geologic formation “G.” A drill string18extends between the drill bit14and the surface location “S,” and in the illustrated embodiment, the downhole tool100is provided within the drill string18proximate the drill bit14. The downhole tool100may be a component of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) coupled within the drill string18, and can be operable to rotate the drill bit14with respect to the drill string18. The term “bottom hole assembly” or “BHA” may be used in this disclosure to describe various components and assemblies disposed proximate to the drill bit14at the down-hole end of drill string18. Examples of components and assemblies (not expressly illustrated inFIG. 1) which may be included in the BHA include, but are not limited to, logging while drilling (MD) equipment, a measure while drilling (MWD) apparatus, a bent sub or housing, a mud motor, a near bit reamer, stabilizers102,104(FIG. 2), and other down hole instruments.

At a surface location “S” a drilling rig22is provided to facilitate drilling of the wellbore12. The drilling rig22includes a turntable28that rotates the drill string18and the drill bit14together about the longitudinal axis X1. The turntable28is selectively driven by an engine30, and can be locked to prohibit rotation of the drill string18. To rotate the drill bit14with respect to the drill string18, mud36can be circulated down-hole by mud pump38. The mud36may be pumped through the drill string18and passed through the turbodrill100. Turbine blades (not shown) in the turbodrill100may be rotated as the mud36passes therethrough. A drive shaft106(FIG. 3) operably coupled to the turbine blades and the drill bit14will permit the drill bit14to rotate along with the turbine blades. The mud36can be passed through the bearing assemblies108(see, e.g.,FIG. 3) within the turbodrill100that support the drive shaft104, and the mud36may cool and lubricate the bearing assemblies108, which also subjects the bearing assemblies108to wear.

The mud36can be expelled through openings (not shown) in the drill bit14to lubricate the drill bit14, and then returned to the surface location through an annulus40defined between the drill string and the geologic formation “G.” As the mud36returns in the annulus, the mud subjects the stabilizers on the turbodrill to corrosive and abrasive wear. Engagement of the geologic formation “G” also subjects the stabilizers to abrasive wear.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of the turbodrill100illustrating a turbine section110and a hearing section112of the turbodrill100. The turbine section110is arranged for coupling to the drill string18(FIG. 1) to receive mudflow therefrom. The bearing section112is disposed generally between the turbine section110and the drill bit14. As illustrated, an upper stabilizer102is generally positioned between the turbine section110and the bearing section112and a lower stabilizer104is positioned generally at the lower end of the bearing section112adjacent the drill bit14. A drive shaft106(FIG. 3) extends through the bearing section112, which, as illustrated, is generally obscured by a housing component116. A lower end of the drive shaft106is exposed between the lower stabilizer and the drill bit14. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments, more or fewer stabilizers102,104may be provided, and may be arranged in any configuration along the turbodrill100.

FIG. 3is a partial side view of the bearing section with the housing component116(FIG. 2) removed to illustrate a plurality of bearings assemblies108spaced along the drive shaft106. As illustrated, three bearing assemblies108support the drive shaft106along its length. The span “L0” between the bearing assemblies may be 4-6 meters in some instances, but may be greater or lower. More or fewer bearing assemblies108may also be provided in alternate embodiments (not shown).

FIGS. 4 and 5are perspective views of a bearing assembly108illustrating a bearing sleeve120and a bearing bushing122in assembled (FIG. 5) and separated (FIG. 4) configurations. The bearing bushing122is the female component that is generally fixed to the housing component116(FIG. 2) or tool body. A bearing frame126may optionally be provided to facilitate coupling the bearing bushing122to the housing component116or tool body. An interior bearing surface128is provided on the bearing bushing122to engage an exterior bearing surface130on the hearing sleeve120. The bearing sleeve120is the male component that is generally affixed to the drive shaft106(FIG. 3), and rotates within the hearing bushing122when assembled.

FIG. 6is a force diagram illustrating an operational loading scenario of the bearing section112. The lower-most radial bearing assemblies108guide the driveshaft106and absorb radial forces P acting on the drill bit14. These reaction forces R1are typically much higher than the loads R2acting on other radial hearing assemblies108in the bearing section112of the tool. For example, the first reaction force R1on the lower most bearing assembly108is generally related to the bit side force P by the relation:
R1=P×(1+(L1/L2)).
A second reaction force R2on an upper bearing assembly108is generally related by:
R2=P×(L1/L2).
Thus, the design considerations for the lower bearing assemblies108, or lower portions of a bearing assembly108may be more stringent than the upper bearing assemblies108or portions thereof. The use of larger tool bend angles serves to increase the radial loads acting on the drill bit14and hence the bearing assemblies108. Larger tool bend angles generally permit a tighter turn in the build section12b(FIG. 1).

FIGS. 7A and 7Bare perspective views of an example stabilizer102and an example bearing sleeve120, andFIGS. 7C and 7Dare enlarged cross-sectional views of the micro-structure on respective wear surfaces on each of the stabilizer102and bearing sleeve120, The microstructure of the stabilizer wear surface (FIG. 7C) generally includes an abrasion-resistant reinforcement material134in a support matrix136. In some embodiments, the reinforcement material134may include a hard phase material such as spherical cast carbide, and the support matrix136may include nickel-based matrix materials. Abrasion resistant materials may include any material that is intended to resist material transfer between itself and any other material that is being pushed or pulled across its surface. The microstructure of the wear surface of the bearing sleeve120(FIG. 7D), e.g., exterior hearing surface130(FIG. 4), generally includes an array of wear tiles138secured to a substrate140in a filler material142, e.g., a braze material. In some embodiments, the wear tiles138may include sintered HIPed tiles, which may be brazed onto the substrate140in a filler material142including either a nickel or copper based support matrix144. The support matrix144may be reinforced with spherical cast carbides or other reinforcement materials134embedded therein as described below. The HIPed wear tiles138may also be found in the stabilizer102, in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the HIPed wear tiles138are constructed of a base material including a thermally stable polycrystalline (TSP) diamond matrix such as a silicon carbide bonded diamond (SCD) composite. In some embodiments, a suitable SCD material might be a ceramic bonded diamond composite available from various manufacturers of polycrystalline diamond and other superhard materials. In one example, such a composite may be composed of, for example, 80% diamond bonded by a continuous matrix of ceramic silicon carbide. The SCD material is thermally stable even at typical brazing temperatures, and thus, graphitization is less prominent with SCD materials than with PCD (polycrystalline diamond) materials. In some embodiments, a suitable material for the HIPed wear tiles138may include diamond spheres interspersed within a silicon carbide matrix. In still other embodiments, wear tiles may be constructed of tungsten carbide or a leached tungsten carbide material.

In some embodiments, materials other than nickel or copper may be employed to create a custom support matrix136,144or braze material. In some embodiments, the support matrix136,144or braze material may include reinforcement materials134embedded therein such as spherical cast carbides, or a mixture of other particles as well (such as tungsten disulfide particles as described in greater detail below). The reinforcement material134may also include encapsulated diamonds, and/or HIPed or TSP (thermally stable polycrystalline) materials. The sizes of the particles interspersed within the custom support matrix136,144or braze material may be consistent or varied among the particles in the custom support matrix136,142or braze material.

The interface between the braze material and the wear tiles138may be arranged to enhance the bond between the wear tiles138and the filler material142. A non-planar surface may be defined on the base146and/or sides148of the wear tiles138. The non-planar surface may be machined, chemically etched, or otherwise formed on the wear tiles138. For example, leached tungsten carbide wear tiles138e.g., where a binder is removed from a face that interacts with the braze alloy or other filler material142, will provide voids within the wear tile138into which the braze alloy or other filler material142may flow when heated to improve the bond strength between the wear tiles138and the braze alloy or braze material142.

The interface between the filler material142and the wear tiles138may also be influenced by the distribution of TSP particles or other reinforcement materials134in the filler material142. As illustrated inFIG. 7, the reinforcement materials134are arranged in a u-shaped belly profile with the reinforcement materials134extending generally across the entire gap between the wear tiles138at and near the exposed wear surface130and progressively greater spacing between the reinforcement materials134and the wear tiles138closer to the substrate140(at greater depths below the exposed wear surface130). This arrangement permits the reinforcement materials134to provide greater abrasion resistance at the exposed wear surface130and permits the filler material142to better bind and adhere to the wear tiles138beneath the exposed wear surface130. Other arrangements are also contemplated for providing a non-linear distribution of reinforcement material134with higher concentrations at and under the exposed wear surface130and lower concentrations adjacent the wear tiles138. For example, the reinforcement materials134may be layered in a bedding arrangement, or a base binder layer generally devoid of reinforcement materials134may first be deposited and a then a TSP matrix may be built onto the base binder layer.

FIG. 8Ais a cross sectional view of an alternate arrangement for a wear surface150of a bearing assembly or stabilizer illustrating trapezoidally shaped wear tiles152. A shorter base154of the trapezoid may be exposed above the filler material142such that, as the exposed surface wears away, an increasing area fraction of the wear surface150is defined by the wear tiles152, thereby slowing the wear. The shorter exposed base154of the trapezoids (or rectangular tiles) may exhibit Multi-modal shapes to improve the packing density and the volume fraction for the exposed wear tiles152on the wear surface150. A longer base156and the sides158of the trapezoids have undulating or otherwise non-planar surfaces to enhance the bond strength with the filler material142. The surfaces of the wear tiles152that interact with the braze alloy in the filler material142, e.g., the surfaces defined by the longer base156and sides158, may also be coated with a material that has a better wettability with the braze alloy in the filler material142than the SCD or other base material of the wear tiles. The base material of the wear tiles152may also be selected for wettability with the braze alloy in the filler material142. A binderless carbide, e.g., a cemented tungsten carbide grade containing about 0 to about 6 percent binder (e.g., cobalt or nickel alloys) by weight, and in some instances about 0 to about 3 percent by weight, may be employed in some embodiments for the base material of the wear tiles152. These classes of carbides, including silicon carbide diamond composites, are generally electrically conductive, thus facilitating shaping the wear tiles152to the trapezoidal or other shapes by electrical discharge machining (EDM) manufacturing processes.

Also illustrated inFIG. 8A, the filler material142may include the support matrix144constructed of various combinations of braze alloys or base materials, and may be reinforced with reinforcement material134, which may include a combination of distinct types of hard particles. The combinations of materials include, but are not limited to any copper based alloys employed, e.g. in fixed cutter drill bits, nickel based alloys (e.g., Ni—Cr—B—Si alloys), which may be used in laser cladding applications, copper based alloys with a bimodal distribution of spherical cast carbide, copper based alloys with a combination of spherical cast carbide and encapsulated diamond powder, copper based alloy with a combination of HIPed carbide spheres plus encapsulated diamond powders and/or cobalt based alloys (e.g., any of a range of cobalt-chromium alloys designed for wear resistance) with HIPed carbide spheres.

In some embodiments, the braze alloy of the support matrix144and reinforcement materials134may be selected to create a self-lubricating wear surface150. For example, a braze alloy with a very fine hexagonal Boron Nitride particles may be provided. As the bearing or stabilizer wears, the h-BN will act to reduce the friction coefficient at the exposed wear surface150. Similarly, a braze alloy with fine Tungsten Disulfide particles continuously dispersed in the matrix may be provided. As the wear surface150abrades, the W2S will act to reduce the friction coefficient at the interface. In some embodiments, a braze alloy may be provided where the h-BN or W2S particles are encapsulated. When self-lubricated wear surfaces150are provided on bearing assemblies108(FIG. 3), the bearing assemblies108may also be used in non-lubricated systems (as opposed to mud lubricated systems). Also, in many mud-lubricated systems, under very high loading conditions lubrication is compromised causing heat damage (heat checking). This has been a predominant mode of failure in down-hole bearings assemblies108under very high loads. Thus, self-lubricated wear surfaces150may also be useful in mud lubricated systems to supplement the mud lubrication.

FIG. 8Bis a cross-sectional view of an alternate arrangement for a wear surface160of a bearing assembly or stabilizer illustrating cylindrically shaped wear tiles162. An exterior base164of the cylinders may be exposed at or above the filler material142to define a portion of the wear surface160. Interior bases166of the cylinders may be secured within pockets168defined in a substrate170. The pockets168may be machined into the substrate170to receive the wear tiles162to define a friction fit between the wear tiles162and the substrate170, and/or to permit the filler material142to flow between the wear tiles162and the substrate170within the pockets168.

Any of the wear tiles discussed herein, including wear tiles138(FIG. 7),152(FIG. 8) and162(FIG. 8B), may be constructed of tungsten carbide (WC) base material. Where the wear tiles are constructed of tungsten carbide, a rectangular WC wear tile190,192(FIGS. 10 and 11) may be provided with non-planar surfaces (e.g., on the sides and an interior base of the rectangle) to enhance the bond at the interface with the brazing material of the filler material142as discussed above. A leached WC wear tile176(FIG. 9) where the binder is removed from faces that interact with the braze alloys of the filler material142may be provided. The braze wettability is much better with a non-binder grade of WC.

FIG. 9is a graphical view of the microstructure of a leached tungsten carbide wear tile176illustrating a distribution of voids178defined therein. A braze alloy of a matrix material or filler material142(FIG. 7) may infiltrate the voids178during a brazing process to secure the wear tile176to a substrate140(FIG. 7D). The wear tile176may be leached such that a greater number or size of the voids178may be provided in an interface region180where the wear tile176engages the filler material142, and a smaller number or size of the voids178may be provided in a wear region182where the wear tile176may be exposed to wear in operation.

A functionally graded WC may be provided with the help of leaching of the binder, which facilitates the braze alloys flowing into the voids in the WC material, and increases the surface area of the contact between the WC and braze alloys for improved bonding therebetween. Leached WC wear tiles176may be provided with a variety of cross-sectional and exposed surface shapes (rectangular, trapezoidal, square etc.) in some embodiments. A non-planar WC tile (of any shape) with a suitable coating (such as nanostructured tungsten carbide-based coatings having a suitable range of wear and corrosion resistance with toughness and ductility) may be provided to further improve the wettability and hence strength at the braze interface. A suitable braze material (such as a copper based alloy) may be provided to enhance the strength at the braze-hard WC tile interface. Under high load applications, interfacial delamination, fragmentation issues etc. have been observed. These issues may be mitigated by the use of leached WC wear tiles176in a bearing assembly108(FIG. 3) or stabilizer102(FIG. 2). A non-planar interface between the WC wear tiles176and the braze alloy could improve the interface area and hence interfacial strength.

The use of thermally stable SiC diamond (SCD), non-planar interface arrangements and application of multimodal shapes of a variety of reinforcement materials may also provide various improvements over conventional bearings and stabilizers. A bearing or stabilizer with low coefficient of friction may be provided with the use of SCD materials, and issues associated with chipping wear of PCD materials (because of the limitation in the way PCD components are manufactured) may be avoided. Enhanced wear resistance may be provided as a result of providing an appropriate packing arrangement. For example, the surface area ratio of braze material to wear tiles may be optimized. An enhanced interfacial strength may also be provided as a result of engineering the interface with non-planar surfaces. Corrosion resistant braze materials may be provided and heat checking resistance as a result of the use of thermally stable hard-phase, e.g., SCD wear tiles.

FIGS. 10 and 11are perspective views of bearing sleeves186,188illustrating different arrangements of wear tiles190,192disposed thereon. The wear tiles190may be constructed with a thermally stable poly crystalline diamond (TSP), or in other embodiments, the entire bearing contact surfaces194may be constructed of the TSP materials. In still other embodiments, the TSP material may be arranged in any number of patterns or shapes (longitudinal rows, rings around the bearing surfaces, etc.). These materials permit the loads (manufacturing and operational) to be effectively distributed. Also, the use of TSP materials lends itself more readily to accurate grinding or other shaping of the cylindrical components in manufacturing processes. This reduces or eliminates the risk of edge and point contact and hence the resulting mechanical damage that can occur in these situations.

TSP material is extremely hard and hence offers the potential for virtually zero wear as any abrasives that become trapped between the bearing surface in a traditional three body wear situation is simply crushed. However, the material also offers other potential bearing advantages such as low friction, excellent thermal conductivity and high temperature capability (thermal stability). The TSP material may be found in the wear tiles190across the entire bearing surface194(FIG. 10), or in a subset of the wear tiles190,192across a bearing surface196(FIG. 11). For example, wear tiles190constructed of TSP inserts may be provided on the lower three rows of the bearing sleeve188or other a bearing component, while wear tiles192constructed of WC inserts may be provided across the remainder of the bearing surface196. More or fewer TSP rows may be provided in other embodiments to suit a particular application. Although the male sleeve component186,188is illustrated inFIGS. 10 and 11, it will be appreciated that the female bushing components122(FIG. 4) may be similarly arranged. In some embodiments, there may be an overlap or mismatch in the arrangement of TSP wear tiles on the bearing sleeve186,188and bushing components122. For example, the bearing sleeve component186,188may include three (3) rows of TSP wear tiles190while the bushing component122may include four (4). By arranging the TSP wear tiles190at the lower end, the portions of the bearing assembly exposed to the greatest loads may be effectively protected from wear.

FIG. 12is a partial, perspective view of a partially assembled bearing assembly200including a bearing sleeve202, and a bearing busing204. The bearing sleeve202includes a first type of wear tiles disposed thereon, TSP wear tiles190, and the bearing bushing204includes a second type of wear tiles disposed thereon, e.g., PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) wear tiles206. By its very nature TSP is difficult and costly to grind and, whilst external surfaces can be ground economically, internal surfaces are expensive to produce. PDC elements206may be provided on the female bushing component204of the bearing assembly200, as the PDC elements206can be shaped economically using electrical discharge machining techniques. This combination allows the accurately machined male cylindrical bearing sleeve202with TSP wear tiles190to run against the discrete but accurately machined PDC elements206in the female bushing part204of the bearing assembly200. Also, in the embodiment illustrated, the PDC wear tiles206are raised or protrude from an inner surface204aof the female bushing component204. This arrangement defines cooling channels208between and around the raised PCD inserts206and permits the flow of mud36(FIG. 1) between the inner surface204aof the female bushing component204and the bearing sleeve202. The cooling channels208provide enhanced flow rates across a length of the bearing assembly for effectively cooling the bearing assembly200, and permit the bearing assembly200to retain a very low friction coefficient. In some embodiments, the PDC elements206may be arranged similarly to the wear tiles152(FIG. 8A) or wear tiles162(FIG. 8B). For example, the PDC elements206may be secured to a substrate170with a reinforced filler material142as described above.

FIGS. 13 and 14are perspective views of bearing sleeves210,212that include channels214,216extending through the respective lengths L3, L4of the outer bearing surfaces218,220. The channels214,216extend from one longitudinal end of the bearing sleeve210,212to the other, and thus permit the flow of mud36(FIG. 1) between the bearing sleeve210,212and the bushing component122(FIG. 4) when assembled to facilitate cooling and lubrication. The channels214,216are illustrated as being formed on the outer wear surface218,220of the sleeve210,212, but the channels214,216may additionally or alternatively be defined on an interior bearing surface of the bushing component122(FIG. 4). The channels214,216may be defined by a filler material142(FIG. 8A) or braze material between TSP wear tiles190(FIG. 10) that extend the length of the bearing sleeve210,212, or alternatively, the channels214,216may be defined directly into a TSP, WC, PCD or other hard surface. As illustrated, inFIG. 13, the channels214may all extend generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bearing sleeve210. In other embodiments, as illustrated inFIG. 14, the channels216may be obliquely arranged (e.g., curved or slanted) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bearing sleeve212. The channels216may be defined at any angle to the longitudinal axis, and in some embodiments, the angle may be in the range of about 15 degrees to about 45 degrees.

The aspects of the disclosure described below are provided to describe a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are described in greater detail above. This section is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one aspect, the disclosure is directed to a stabilizer or radial bearing for a downhole turbine or motor, that includes a thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP) on the wear surface such as the bearing contact surface on the male sleeve component or the female bushing component.

According to another aspect, a radial or composite bearing for downhole tools includes a male sleeve component defining an exterior wear surface thereon and a female bushing component defining interior wear surface thereon. The interior wear surface is for engages the exterior wear surface of the male sleeve component in operation. A plurality of hard phase materials are interspersed within a matrix material on at least one of the exterior wear surface and the interior wear surface. The hard phase materials including at least one of the group consisting of thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (TSP), tungsten carbide (WC), and anti-abrasion materials.

In some example embodiments, the hard phase materials include a silicon carbide bonded diamond composite TSP, a leached PCD or diamond bonded with other types of catalysts with a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to diamond. In some embodiments, the catalysts have a coefficient of thermal expansion within 200% of the coefficient of thermal expansion of diamond. In some embodiments, the catalysts have a coefficient of thermal expansion within the range of about 0.3 micro-inch/in° F. to about 3 micro-inch/in ° F.

In one or more example embodiments, the hard phase materials include a TSP material on the exterior wear surface of the male sleeve component, and the interior wear surface of the female bushing component includes a PDC compact material thereon. A lower portion of the exterior wear surface may include the TSP material and an upper portion of the exterior wear surface may include a WC material. In some embodiments, the hard phase materials include a TSP material on both the exterior wear surface and the interior wear surface.

In some embodiments, the hard phase materials are disposed on wear tiles supported by the matrix material, and wherein the matrix material is a softer braze material. The wear tiles may include a non-planar interface with the softer braze material. The non-planar interface may include a leached surface on the wear the including a distribution of voids defined therein. The distribution of voids may be non-uniform defining an interface region where a relatively large number or size of voids is disposed and a wear region where a relatively small number or size of voids is disposed. In some embodiments, the softer braze material may be reinforced with hard phase particles interspersed therein.

In one or more example embodiments, at least one of the hard phase material and the matrix material is reinforced with lubricating particles. The lubricating particles may include at least one of hexagonal Boron Nitride particles or Tungsten Disulfide particles.

In some embodiments, at least one of the exterior wear surface and the interior wear surface includes a plurality of channels running through a length thereof. The channels may be obliquely arranged with respect to a longitudinal axis of the wear surface.

According to another aspect, the disclosure is directed to a wear surface for a stabilizer, kick plate, composite bearing or radial bearing for a rotary steerable tool, downhole turbine or motor. The wear surface includes a substrate, a plurality of wear tiles constructed of a hard phase material including a TSP material tungsten carbide (WC), and anti-abrasion material, and a filler material interposing the wear tiles and binding the wear tiles to the substrate.

In some example embodiments, the filler material includes a matrix material and a plurality of hard phase particles reinforcing the matrix material. The hard phase particles may include at least one of a spherical cast carbide, an encapsulated diamond particle, and a TSP material. In some embodiments, the hard phase material of the wear tile is coated with a coating having a greater wettability with the filler material than the hard phase material. In some embodiments, the hard phase material of the wear tile may be a WC material, and the coating may be a nanostructured tungsten carbide-based coating. In one or more example embodiments, the substrate may define a plurality of pockets therein, wherein the wear tile may be arranged to protrude from the pockets.

The Abstract of the disclosure is solely for providing the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public at large with a way by which to determine quickly from a cursory reading the nature and gist of technical disclosure, and it represents solely one or more examples.

While various examples have been illustrated in detail, the disclosure is not limited to the examples shown. Modifications and adaptations of the above examples may occur to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and adaptations are in the scope of the disclosure.