24-10-2012, 11:02 AM
Development of Advanced Drill Components for BHA Using Microwave Technology Incorporating Carbide, Diamond Composites and Functionally Graded Materials
ABSTRACT
The microwave processing of materials is a new emerging technology with many attractive advantages over the
conventional methods. The advantages of microwave technology for various ceramic systems has already been demonstrated
and proven. The recent developments at Penn State have succeeded in applying the microwave technology for the
commercialization of WC/Co and diamond based cutting and drilling tools, effectively sintering of metallic materials, and
fabrication of transparent ceramics for advanced applications. In recent years, the Microwave Processing and Engineering
Center at Penn State University in collaboration with our industrial partner, Dennis Tool Co. has succeeded in commercializing
the developed microwave technology partially funded by DOE for WC/Co and diamond based cutting and drilling tools for
gas and oil exploration operations. In this program we have further developed this technology to make diamond-carbide
composites and metal-carbide-diamond functionally graded materials. Several actual product of diamond-carbide composites
have been processed in microwave with better performance than the conventional product. The functionally graded composites
with diamond as one of the components has been for the first time successfully developed. These are the highlights of the
project.