GB0002449331A200811192449331GB2449331080619820080404GB080619820080404US6092194020070405US6094470620070618US1205977520080331US9219400720070405PUS20070921940PUS597750820080331AUS20080059775US9447060720070618PUS20070944706PGB244933120081119AGBN0T CLASSIFIED20060101AFI20081119BHGBE21B104620060101ALI20081119BHGBE21B1016B22F2005001LA20130101EPBHC23C 30005FI20130101EPBHC22C 2908LI20130101EPBHE21B 1016I20130101GBBHE21B 1046I20130101GBBHCutting elements with increased toughness and thermal fatigueUS5697046A19971209US2004016557A120040129US2006254828A120061116Smith International16740 Hardy Street, Houston, Texas 77032Bitler, Jonathan476 E. Fritz Court, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701SMITH INTERNATIONALUSSMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.Liang,Dah-Ben27 Rustic View Court, The Woodlands, Texas, 77381Portwood,Gary Ray3703 Fern View Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77345Minikus,James C6002 Beufort Way, Spring, Texas 77389Singh,Amardeep3131 Timmons Lane #703, Houston, Texas 77027Bitler,Jonathan476 E. Fritz Court, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701LIANG DAH-BENUSPORTWOOD GARY RAYUSMINIKUS JAMES CUSSINGH AMARDEEPUSBITLER JONATHANUSDAH-BEN LIANGGARY RAY PORTWOODJAMES C MINIKUSAMARDEEP SINGHJONATHAN BITLERCutting elements offering increased toughness and thermal fatigue resistance can be formed of a wear resistant material having coarse grains disposed in a binder matrix with a binder content of at least about 18% by weight. The coarse grains include grains of at least one selected from the group of a transition metal carbide, a transition metal boride, and transition metal nitride. The binder content and coarse grain size may be selected to provide a Rockwell A hardness of at least about 75 Ra or a wear number of at least about 1.5. The cutting elements may have particular application in the gage region of a drill.TIFF00000029.TIF297210TIFF00000030.TIF297210TIFF00000031.TIF297210TIFF00000032.TIF297210TIFF00000033.TIF297210TIFF00000034.TIF297210TIFF00000035.TIF297210