Applications of Polycrystalline Ultra-hard Materials

The polycrystalline derivatives of diamond and cBN, normally referred to as pcD and pcBN respectively, provide engineers with materials which have many of the properties of diamond and cBN, notably hardness and abrasion resistance, but in the form of relatively large isotropic pieces, usually in the form of flat discs. These materials have a wide variety of uses, both as a defined edge cutting tool 

The automotive and aerospace industries provide a large number of applications for pcD, particularly with the movement to more widespread use of advanced alloys 

An example of an engine component commonly machined with pcD is an aluminum alloy engine block (Fig. 66) manufactured from an silicon-silicon alloy 

A relatively recent application area for pcD has been in the woodworking industry. Wood composites such as medium density fibreboard (MDF), chipboard, laminated boards with plastic coatings, for use in furniture and on floorings, and also composites, used in wall claddings and in ceilings, all tend to be highly abrasive 

Drilling for oil and gas is a highly specialized subject pcD cutters were introduced to this application area in the early 1980s and, since that time, the design of the drill bits and the pcD cutting elements themselves have resulted in ever-increasing performance. 

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