Patent ID: 7235211

Claim:
A method for forming a wear resistant surface onto a surface of a cutting element fmm a subterranean drill bit, the method comprising the steps of: forming a conformable mixture consisting of a cermet precursor material and polymer binder; applying the mixture onto the surface of the cutting element when the cutting element is in a fully densified form; and sintering the applied mixture to form the wear resistant surface; wherein the sintered wear resistant material has a hardness that is greater than that of the underlying cutting element, and wherein the sintered wear resistant material is a cermet having a material microstucture consisting of: a first phase of grains selected from the group consisting of carbides, borides, nitrides and carbonitrides of W, Ti, Mo, Nb, V, Hf, Ta and Cr refractory metals; and a second phase of a binder material selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe and alloys thereof.