Patent ID: 8002052

Claim:
A rotary drill bit for drilling at least one subterranean formation, the rotary drill bit comprising: a bit body at least substantially comprised of a pressed and sintered particle-matrix composite material and having an exposed exterior surface and a plurality of blades, the pressed and sintered particle-matrix composite material comprising a plurality of hard particles randomly dispersed throughout a matrix material, the hard particles selected from the group consisting of diamond, boron carbide, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, and carbides or borides of the group consisting of W, Ti, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Zr, and Cr, the matrix material selected from the group consisting of cobalt-based alloys, iron-based alloys, nickel-based alloys, cobalt- and nickel-based alloys, iron- and nickel-based alloys, iron- and cobalt-based alloys, and titanium-based alloys; and an abrasive wear-resistant material disposed in at least one recess extending into a formation-engaging surface of at least one blade of the plurality of blades and extending longitudinally along an edge of the at least one blade defined by the intersection between two surfaces comprising a portion of an exposed exterior surface of the bit body, an exposed surface of the abrasive wear-resistant material being at least substantially level with the exposed exterior surface of the bit body adjacent the abrasive wear-resistant material taken in a direction generally perpendicular to the exposed exterior surface of the bit body adjacent the abrasive wear-resistant material, wherein the abrasive wear-resistant material disposed in at least one recess extending into the bit body comprises the following materials in pre-application ratios: a matrix material, the matrix material comprising between about 20% and about 50% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material, the matrix material comprising at least 75% nickel by weight, the matrix material having a melting point of less than about 1100°C.; a plurality of −10 ASTM mesh sintered tungsten carbide pellets substantially randomly dispersed throughout the matrix material, the plurality of sintered tungsten carbide pellets comprising between about 30% and about 55% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material, each sintered tungsten carbide pellet comprising a plurality of tungsten carbide particles bonded together with a binder alloy, the binder alloy having a melting point greater than about 1200°C; and a plurality of −18 ASTM mesh cast tungsten carbide granules substantially randomly dispersed throughout the matrix material, the plurality of cast tungsten carbide granules comprising less than about 35% by weight of the abrasive wear-resistant material.