DIAMOND CUTTING ELEMENTS

The natural diamonds used in fixed cutter oilfield drill bits typically range from one stone per carat to
15 stones per carat. The larger diamonds are used to drill softer formations, and are surface set into
the matrix bit body materialthat is, two-thirds of the diamond is buried into the matrix, while onethird is exposed on the surface of the bit. Small diamonds (8 to 10 stones per carat or smaller) can be
completely buried into ridges of tungsten carbide matrix powder to protect the diamond from fracture
when drilling extremely hard or abrasive formationsbits set in this manner are referred to as ridge
set.
Synthetic diamonds can be thermally stable, capable of withstanding the same temperature as
natural diamonds, or non-thermally stable polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) material.
PDC cutters are available in a variety of sizes and shapes. As with natural diamonds, the largerdiameter PDC cutters are used for drilling softer formations. Soft formation fishtail bits often use 19
mm ( ") diameter cutters to shear large chips of shale. Large cutter bits tend to generate more
torque than bits with smaller diameter cutters, and so are most susceptible to impact damage. When
hard stringers are anticipated, it is common practice to use smaller, 13 mm (
some hard formations, 9 mm (

") PDC cutters. In

") cutters have been used with good results.

Initially, PDC cutters were always round and flat. Subsequent advances in transition layer technology
have enabled the development of shaped cutters that are much more impact-resistant than flat
cutters, and provide additional benefits as well. Dome shaped cutters, for example, provide side-toside curvature for better cleaning, and top-to-bottom curvature for more stable cutting action.
The impact and abrasion resistant characteristics of PDC are largely dependent upon the diamond
grain size. A larger diamond grain size makes the diamond compact more impact resistant but lowers
abrasion resistance. A smaller diamond grain size increases abrasion resistance but reduces impact
resistance. In other words, the harder the cutter's grade, the more brittle it becomes. Because of
these trade-offs, PDC grades used by different companies have included products with a compromise
between wear resistance and impact resistance somewhere in the middle range of the trade off
curve. However, the industry is developing an optimized structure with both better abrasion
resistance and impact resistance.

Cutter Layout
All diamonds, whether natural or synthetic, are distributed across the bit face so that for each
revolution of the bit, there is an equal volume of rock removed per cutter. With the help of computeraided design programs, manufacturers can refine basic cutter layouts to eliminate potential weak
areas along the cutting structure and obtain optimum bottomhole profiles.
PDC cutters are set into the bit with specified attack angles into the rock. These attack angles are
referred to as the cutter orientation, or rake angles. A cutter that is perpendicular to the rock face has
azero rake angle, while a cutter that leans forward into the formation like a plow tilling soil has
a positiverake angle and a cutter that leans slightly back from the formation exhibits back
rake ( Figure 1 ). Back rake defines the cutter's aggressiveness, or degree of gouging/scraping
action.

Figure 1

Extensive laboratory and field tests have proven that the cutter orientation must correspond to the
formation hardness. Harder formations require greater back rake angles to give durability to the
cutting structure and reduce "chatter" or vibration. Softer formations can be drilled more aggressively
with less back rake.
Designers often vary back rake angles across the face of the bit to more evenly distribute the
workload of the drilling action through the cutter. For example, rake angles might be close to zero in
the bit center and greatest in the gauge section to maximize bit life and produce even wear.
Side rake angle refers to the side-to-side orientation of the cutter ( Figure 2 ).

Figure 2

Having some degree of side rake aids in mechanical cleaning of the bit face by orienting the cutter
face slightly towards the outside of the bit. This directs cuttings to the annulus instead of to the front of
the cutter, so that re-grinding of cuttings does not occur. Side rake also helps to stabilize the bit.
Dome-shaped cutters have variable back rake and side rake angles. The back rake angle is smallest
where the cross-sectional area of the cutter is smallest. Conversely, the back rake is smallest and
most aggressive where the cross-sectional area is greatest. In a homogeneous formation, this
characteristic allows the dome cutter to drill throughout its life at a consistent penetration rate.
Variable rake angle is also an advantage in drilling interbedded formations. In softer drilling, where the
depth of cut is greater, the dome cutter is at the more aggressive portion of its curvature, giving a
greater attack angle and thus a higher penetration rate. In harder formations, where the depth of cut
is less, the dome cutter attacks the formation with a higher degree of back rake, resulting in lower
penetration rates but greater durability.