What is diamond drilling in geology?

Diamond Drilling is a form of core drilling which uses a rotary drill with a diamond drill bit attached in order to create precisely measured holes. A diamond drill is a precision instrument, creating clean, accurate holes with diameters of between 8mm to more than 1500mm.

Why is diamond good for drilling?

Diamonds possess many properties that make them superb for drilling. It takes an incredible amount of durability to cut through tough surfaces, such as concrete, without being damaged. Succeeding in this requires a material that exceeds the toughness of concrete — which is no easy feat!

How fast is diamond drilling?

Typical penetration rates vary anywhere from 2 ipm to 12 ipm depending on bit formula and formation. As formations become harder, the penetration rate should be reduced to achieve good bit life. In extremely broken, hard ground, drill at half RPM and weight on bit sufficient to reach 1 to 2 ipm (3 to 5 cpm).

Who invented the diamond drill?

Rodolphe Leschot
Rodolphe Leschot first patented his drill in the U.S. in 1863. It was noticed from an early stage in mining press reports of its use in driving the Mont Cenis and Terase tunnels,14 and as early as 1866 interest was being shown in how inexpen- sive diamonds might be sourced for such drills.

Who invented the diamond drill bit?

Rudolphe Leschot
Invention of the first diamond drill The diamond drill as we know it was invented by Rudolphe Leschot, a French engineer. In order to design the drill, Leschot enlisted his father, George-August, a highly skilled toolmaker with a keen interest in Egyptian mechanisms, such as the bow-driven hollow rotary drill.

Is diamond good for drill heads?

Diamonds are the hardest material and as such, diamond bits are capable of boring holes in virtually any material with an accuracy that is unmatched with any other drilling technique. Their light weight, variety of diameters, low noise, low dust and zero impact make diamond drilling extremely versatile.

Why are diamonds used in tools?

Diamonds are widely used in cutting tools because they are considered to be the hardest element and are able to cut through hard materials. The main reason why diamond is used for these industrial cutting tools is because of its hardness. Another is its high melting point and durability.

Why is it called diamond drilling?

Drill Structure The term diamond core drilling comes from the ‘diamond bit’ drill used during this process. This drill bit is made up of a group of small, industrial-grade diamonds set into a metallic, soft matrix. As the ground is drilled this matrix will wear away and expose more diamonds.

How deep can a diamond drill go?

The planned 1,600-metre diamond drill hole will be the deepest one drilled to date at the Buriticá project and will span a final vertical depth of more than 2,000 metres below surface.

Why diamond are hard and used in cutting tools?

Hardness. A diamond consists of carbon, which is the hardest earth element. Its hardness makes it ideal for cutting other materials, including hard-to-cut metals. A diamond is even able to scratch Tungsten, which is the toughest metal on the Mohs scale, at 9.5 out of a 1 to 10 ranking.