A novel infiltration alloy comprises about 5 to 65% by weight of manganese, up to about 35% by weight of zinc, and the balance copper. Preferably, the infiltration alloy comprises 20% by weight of manganese, 20% by weight of zinc, and the balance copper. The infiltration alloy is useful in the manufacture of matrix bodies such as matrix drill bit bodies. A method for the manufacture of a matrix body comprises forming a hollow mold for molding at least a portion of the matrix body, positioning diamond cutting elements in the mold, packing at least a part of the mold with a powder matrix material, infiltrating the matrix material with the novel infiltration alloy in a furnace to form a mass, and allowing the mass to solidify into an integral matrix body. Because the novel infiltration alloy permits infiltration to be carried out at temperatures below about 1050° C., many diamond cutting elements which begin to deteriorate at temperatures above 1000° C. can be bonded without substantial degradation to the matrix body during the infiltration process, and there is no need to secure them to the matrix body in a subsequent brazing or mechanical bonding step.

Low melting point copper-manganese-zinc alloy for infiltration binder in matrix body rock drill bits

A method of manufacturing a bit body, other drilling-related component, or other article of manufacture, including fabricating a particulate-based matrix and infiltrating the particulate-based matrix with a binder that includes cobalt or iron. The binder may be a cobalt alloy or an iron alloy. The particulate-based matrix may be disposed within a non-graphite mold. The particulate-based matrix and binder are placed within an induction coil and an alternating current is applied to the induction coil in order to directly heat the binder, permitting the binder to infiltrate or otherwise bind the particles of the matrix together. The molten binder may then be directionally cooled by forming a cooling zone around an end portion of the bit body and increasing the size of the cooling zone relative to the bit body. The invention also includes a bit body, other drilling-related component, or other article of manufacture which includes a particulate-based matrix that is bound together with a binder that includes iron or cobalt.

Methods of high temperature infiltration of drill bits and infiltrating binder

A composition for drill bit bodies and a method for making drill bits from the composition are disclosed. The composition includes powdered tungsten carbide, and binder metal consisting of a composition by weight of manganese in a range of about zero to 25 percent, nickel in a range of about zero to 15 percent, zinc in a range of about 3 to 20 percent, tin in a range of more than 1 percent to about 10 percent, and copper making up the remainder by weight of the composition. In one embodiment, the composition includes about 6 to 7 percent tin therein. The composition is heated to at least the infiltration temperature in a mold for form a drill bit body.

Composition for binder material particularly for drill bit bodies

There is disclosed a machinable alpha beta brass having reduced lead content. The alloy contains bismuth to improve machinability. Either a portion of the zinc is replaced with aluminum silicon or tin, or a portion of the copper is replaced with iron, nickel or manganese. The amount of zinc and, in some embodiments zinc substitute, is that effective to provide a sufficient amount of the beta phase to enable hot working at temperatures above 600 °C. Figures 2 through 4 illustrate composition regimes of the invention in correspondence with elements substituting for zinc.

Machinable copper alloys having reduced lead content

A plumbing fixture or fitting fabricated from a bismuth and mischmetal containing copper alloy.

Plumbing fixtures and fittings employing copper-bismuth casting alloys

The instant disclosure teaches a process for obtaining an improved combination of strength and bend properties in copper base alloys having low stacking fault energy. The process is characterized by a critical combination of cold reduction and annealing following recrystallization.

Processing copper base alloys

The instant disclosure teaches a process for obtaining an improved combination of strength and bend properties in copper base alloys having low stacking fault energy. The process is characterized by a critical combination of cold reduction and annealing following recrystallization. Improved copper base alloys are also disclosed.

Improved copper base alloys

A process for improving the thermal stability of copper alloys having a low stacking fault energy is disclosed which comprises cold working the alloy, heating the alloy at a first temperature of from 100° to 300° C, additionally heating the alloy at a second temperature of from 200° to 360° C and cooling to room temperature. The second temperature must be higher than the first temperature.

Process for treating copper alloys to improve thermal stability

Particular copper base alloys consisting essentially of silicon, tin and mischmetal are disclosed which exhibit improved resistance to edge cracking during hot working operations. Various other elements such as chromium, manganese, iron and nickel may also be added to the alloy to increase the strength properties of the alloy without affecting the hot workability improvement brought about by the mischmetal addition to the copper-silicon-tin base.

Minimization of edge cracking during hot rolling of silicon-tin bronzes

Leaded brasses are modified by additions of chromium, antimony and bismuth in order to reduce the susceptibility of the brasses to edge cracking during hot working. The additional alloying elements also help to maintain the widely known good machinability characteristics of the leaded brasses.

Prakash D. Parikh

Papers

Processing copper base alloys

Improved copper base alloys

Process for treating copper alloys to improve thermal stability

Minimization of edge cracking during hot rolling of silicon-tin bronzes

Modification of leaded brasses to improve hot workability