Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
235 words
In a process for preparing a compact which comprises: A. placing within a protective shield metal enclosure which is disposed within the reaction cell of a high pressure/high temperature apparatus: (1) a mass of abrasive crystals selected from the group consisting of diamond and cubic boron nitride; and (2) a mass of catalyst metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, mixtures and/or alloys thereof, and aluminum alloy catalysts useful only with cubic boron nitride; B. subjecting the contents of the shield metal enclosure to the following conditions: (1) for diamond (a) a pressure of at least 50 Kbars at a temperature of at least 1300° C. and within the diamond stable region; and (b) a reaction time of 3-120 minutes; (2) for cubic boron nitride (a) a pressure of at least 42 Kbars at a temperature of at least 1300° C. and within the cubic boron nitride stable region; and (b) a reaction time of about 2-120 minutes; and C. recovering the composite compact produced; the improvement which comprises disposing the mass of abrasive crystals in Step A. in layers, the coarsest layer being closest to the catalyst metal and being comprised of crystals having a largest dimension of between about 75 and about 500 micrometers, and the finest layer being disposed farthest away from the catalyst metal and being comprised of crystals having a largest dimension of less than 10 micrometers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
235 words
In a process for preparing a compact which comprises: A. placing within a protective shield metal enclosure which is disposed within the reaction cell of a high pressure/high temperature apparatus: (1) a mass of abrasive crystals selected from the group consisting of diamond and cubic boron nitride; and (2) a mass of catalyst metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, iron, mixtures and/or alloys thereof, and aluminum alloy catalysts useful only with cubic boron nitride; B. subjecting the contents of the shield metal enclosure to the following conditions: (1) for diamond (a) a pressure of at least 50 Kbars at a temperature of at least 1300° C. and within the diamond stable region; and (b) a reaction time of 3-120 minutes; (2) for cubic boron nitride (a) a pressure of at least 42 Kbars at a temperature of at least 1300° C. and within the cubic boron nitride stable region; and (b) a reaction time of about 2-120 minutes; and C. recovering the composite compact produced; the improvement which comprises disposing the mass of abrasive crystals in Step A. in layers, the coarsest layer being closest to the catalyst metal and being comprised of crystals having a largest dimension of between about 75 and about 500 micrometers, and the finest layer being disposed farthest away from the catalyst metal and being comprised of crystals having a largest dimension of less than 10 micrometers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process of claim 1 wherein for a composite compact, a mass of metal carbide selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum carbide and mixtures thereof which contains said catalyst metal also is placed within said enclosure.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 or 2 wherein said abrasive crystals are diamond and said catalyst metal is cobalt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 2 wherein said metal carbide is tungsten carbide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 or 2 wherein said layers of abrasive crystals are between about 1 and 4 mm in total thickness.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process of claim 1 or 2 wherein said mass of abrasive crystals contains at least 70% by volume of said abrasive crystals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said crystals comprise cubic boron nitride and said conditions comprise a temperature of at least about 1600° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1 or 7 wherein said crystals comprise cubic boron nitride and an aluminum-containing catalyst is in admixture with said cubic boron nitride crystals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 8 wherein said aluminum-containing catalyst is a pre-formed alloy or an alloy formed in situ in said process from an alloying metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, vanadium and chromium.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 9 wherein said alloying metal is nickel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process of claim 9 where for a composite compact, a mass of metal carbide selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum carbide and mixtures thereof which contains said catalyst metal also is placed within said enclosure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process of claim 2 for making a wire die blank wherein said coarsest layer is arranged concentrically adjacent to an annular carbide mass and said finest layer comprises a circular core.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 12 wherein said abrasive crystals comprise diamond and said catalyst metal comprises cobalt.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 13 wherein said metal carbide comprises tungsten carbide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
125 words
An improved compact of a polycrystalline mass comprising: (a) abrasive crystal grains selected from diamond and cubic boron nitride, and (b) a catalyst metal selected from cobalt, iron, nickel, mixtures and/or alloys thereof and aluminum alloy catalysts useful only with CBN, said abrasive crystal grains, in random orientation, being directly bonded to adjacent crystal grains in said mass thereof; wherein the improvement comprises said polycrystalline mass of abrasive crystal grains having at least two layers, a layer of coarser grains being derived from crystals having a largest dimension of between about 75 and 500 microns and a finer layer of crystal grains derived from crystals having a largest dimension of less than 10 microns, said layers of said crystal grains being bonded to each other.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
125 words
An improved compact of a polycrystalline mass comprising: (a) abrasive crystal grains selected from diamond and cubic boron nitride, and (b) a catalyst metal selected from cobalt, iron, nickel, mixtures and/or alloys thereof and aluminum alloy catalysts useful only with CBN, said abrasive crystal grains, in random orientation, being directly bonded to adjacent crystal grains in said mass thereof; wherein the improvement comprises said polycrystalline mass of abrasive crystal grains having at least two layers, a layer of coarser grains being derived from crystals having a largest dimension of between about 75 and 500 microns and a finer layer of crystal grains derived from crystals having a largest dimension of less than 10 microns, said layers of said crystal grains being bonded to each other.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The compact of claim 15 which is a composite compact of said polycrystalline mass of crystal grains supported on a sintered metal carbide mass, said layer of coarser grains being adjacent to and bonded to said carbide mass.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
14 words
The compact of claim 15 or 16 wherein said abrasive crystal grains are diamond.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The compact of claim 15 or 16 wherein said abrasive grains are cubic boron nitride.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The compact of claims 15 or 16 wherein said catalyst metal is cobalt.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composite compact of claim 16 wherein said carbide mass is comprised of tungsten carbide.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The compact of claim 15 or 16 wherein the total thickness of said layers of abrasive crystal grains is between about 1 and 4 mm.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
A wire die blank made from the composite compact of claim 16 wherein said carbide mass is annular, said coarsest layer is arranged concentrically adjacent to said carbide mass, and said finest layer comprises a circular core.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The wire die blank of claim 22 wherein said abrasive crystals comprise diamond and said catalyst metal comprises cobalt.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
14 words
The wire die blank of claim 23 wherein said metal carbide comprises tungsten carbide.