US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION

Superabrasive elements may be produced by methods including leaching the metallic material from the superabrasive element to produce a leached volume by exposing at least a portion of the superabrasive element to a processing solution, exposing an electrode to the processing solution, and applying a charge to the electrode such that a voltage is generated between the superabrasive element and the electrode and the voltage is applied to the processing solution.

Embodiments of the invention relate to bearing apparatuses in which one bearing surface of the bearing apparatus includes diamond, while another bearing surface includes a non-diamond superhard material (e.g., silicon carbide). For example, a bearing apparatus may include a bearing stator assembly and a bearing rotor assembly. The bearing stator assembly and bearing rotor assembly each include a support ring and one or more superhard bearing elements generally opposed to one another. The bearing surface(s) of the rotor or stator may include diamond, while the bearing surface(s) of the other of the rotor or stator do not include diamond. Another bearing apparatus may include both thrust- and radial bearing components. The generally opposed thrust-bearing elements may include diamond, while the generally opposed radial bearing elements may not include diamond, but include a non-diamond superhard material, such as silicon carbide.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to protective leaching masks, and methods of manufacturing and using the same for leaching superabrasive elements such as polycrystalline diamond elements. In an embodiment, a protective leaching mask assembly includes a protective mask formed to protect at least a portion of a superabrasive element.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to bearing assemblies and methods of manufacturing. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes a support ring and bearing elements. The bearing elements are mounted to and distributed circumferentially about an axis of the support ring. At least one of the bearing elements includes a polycrystalline diamond table, a substrate bonded to the polycrystalline diamond table, bonding region defined by the substrate and the polycrystalline diamond table, and a corrosion resistant region. The corrosion resistant region includes a corrosion resistant material that covers at least a portion of at least one lateral surface of the bonding region. The corrosion resistant region prevents corrosion of at least some material in the bonding region covered by the corrosion resistant region (e.g., during use). Other embodiments employ one or more sacrificial anodes as an alternative to or in combination with the corrosion resistant region.

Force coupling or torque coupling assemblies, apparatuses, systems, and methods include assemblies that each include superhard contact elements. At least some of the superhard contact elements may be configured to remain in contact with each other when a rotational force and/or a thrust force is applied between the assemblies.

Embodiments are directed to nozzles for three-dimensional printing and related nozzle assemblies and methods. An example nozzle includes at least one top surface, at least one bottom surface, and at least one nozzle lateral surface extending from or near the top surface to or near the bottom surface. The nozzle also includes at least one conduit surface defining a conduit. At least a portion of the conduit surface comprise at least one of polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”), polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (“PcBN”), or another suitable superhard material. The nozzle may be attached to a base to form a nozzle assembly.

A method of processing a superabrasive element includes defining a protective layer over a selected portion of a superabrasive element. The method includes exposing at least a portion of the superabrasive element to a leaching solution. A superabrasive element has a superabrasive table that includes a leached volume extending from the superabrasive face to a portion of the chamfer proximate to the superabrasive side surface.

Embodiments of the invention relate to automatically dull grading drill bits and portions thereof based on three-dimensional digital models made from one or more images of the drill bits taken at a drilling site by an electronic device with a time-of-flight camera, wherein a method for evaluating drill bits at a site of a drilling rig is disclosed. The method includes receiving, from a requestor, a plurality of images of a drill bit that has been used, at least some of the plurality of images including time-of-flight images that have been captured by an electronic device (e.g., a computing device, an electronic device, etc.) on-site at or near a drill rig. The method includes generating a digital model of the drill bit based on the plurality of images.

Nozzles for three-dimensional printing and related nozzle assemblies and methods may include at least one top surface, at least one bottom surface, and at least one lateral surface extending from or near the top surface to or near the bottom surface. The nozzle includes at least one conduit surface defining a conduit. The conduit surface extends from or near the top surface to or near the bottom surface.