Patent ID: 8771389

Claim:
A method of forming TSP compacts comprising: placing a plurality of pre-sintered TSP material layers in an enclosure one pre-sintered TSP material layer over another and surrounding each pre-sintered TSP material layer with at least one of a pre-sintered tungsten carbide powder, pre-cemented tungsten carbide powder, tungsten carbide powder including an infiltrant, or partially sintered tungsten carbide substrates; exposing said enclosure to a high temperature high pressure sintering process wherein said at least one of a pre-sintered tungsten carbide powder, pre-cemented tungsten carbide powder, tungsten carbide powder, or partially sintered tungsten carbide substrates bonds to said TSP material layers forming a stack of re-processed TSP material layers comprising said re-processed TSP material layers one over the other with tungsten carbide bonded to each of said re-processed TSP material layers and encapsulating each of said re-processed TSP material layers; removing said stack from said enclosure; cutting said stack forming a plurality of said re-processed TSP material layers, each of said re-processed TSP material layers having a tungsten carbide material layer formed from said at least one of a pre-sintered tungsten carbide powder, pre-cemented tungsten carbide powder, tungsten carbide powder, or partially sintered tungsten carbide substrates bonded to one surface thereof; and attaching said tungsten carbide layer bonded to one of said plurality of re-processed TSP material layers to a tungsten carbide substrate forming said TSP compact.