Effect of CL192 pre-alloyed powder on matrix properties of impregnated diamond bit

Abstract The CL192 pre-alloy powder, which contains elements such as Fe, Ni, Cu, Sn and P was used to manufacture lattice lip impregnated diamond bit (IDB) matrix in this paper. The effects of pre-alloy powder content and sintering temperature on the matrix strength and microstructure of IDB were studied. The density, bending strength and wear ratio of the matrix were measured, and the fracture of the sample was analyzed by SEM and EDS. Results showed that the density, bending strength and wear resistance of the matrix increase as increasing the content of pre-alloy powder. When the sintering temperature increases from 800 °C to 900 °C, the mechanical properties of the matrix increase accordingly. However, as the temperature is higher than 950 °C, the bending strength of the matrix decreases. When the temperature is higher than 900 °C, the graphitization of diamond is serious, which, however, can be reduced by increasing the content of pre-alloyed powder. Furthermore, the results of SEM showed that with the increase of the content of pre-alloyed powder, the degree of thermal damage of diamond is reduced and the gap between matrix and diamond interface are reduced, whereas the ability of matrix to diamond cladding is enhanced. It is also observed that a high performance matrix can be obtained at a low sintering temperature. Overall, CL192 pre-alloy powder can effectively reduce the sintering temperature and improve the mechanical properties of matrix, indicating a good application prospect in the use of IDB.