Leaching of PDC

All polycrystalline diamond cutters (PDC) contain varying amounts of non-diamond binders called catalytic materials. Properties of PDC are determined by the amount and type of binder in the structure. As the temperature of PDC increases during drilling, the non-diamond binders expands quicker than diamond,  causing the diamond to diamond bonds to crack.

ESP USA uses its unique and proprietary processes to remove the non-diamond phase in the PDC. This process is called leaching.