9 MARCH 2023 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Researching Cobalt Replacement in Bits Sandvik invests heavily in innovation, with around 2600 of the company’s 39,000 employees performing research at some 50 centers worldwide. For years, they have been trying to find a solution for replacing or decreasing the use of cobalt in the company’s rock drill bits, where hard tungsten carbide is mixed with cobalt, which acts like a binding glue, creating an extremely hard composite to quickly drill through rock. “We wanted to do research to investigate if it is possible to achieve a similar performance if we substituted cobalt with a high-strength steel,” said Ida Borgh, materials specialist. Last year, there was a call for research projects on sustainable metals. This reflected the auto industry’s shift to electric cars and the subsequent increased draw on the world’s supply of cobalt, which is used in car batteries, as well as other applications. The time was ripe to apply for funding. Sweden’s innovation agency, VINNOVA approved a research project for three years in cooperation with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Boliden Minerals, the Swedish multinational mining and metals company. KTH will be responsible for materials modeling based on Sandvik requirements, using their newly developed method that can optimize new high-strength steel grades, which can potentially be used as a binder phase in cemented carbides. The drill bits will also be tested in one of Boliden’s mines. This means the entire value chain will be covered in the project. Sandvik has already decreased its demand for cobalt by recycling used drill bits. If this research project is successful, it could pave the way for future cobalt-free drill bits, giving a positive impact from a sustainability perspective and decreasing vulnerability in the supply chain. For a link to this website, visit this page at: worldwidedrillingresource.com CME Drill Rig Aids State Geotech Team Adapted from Information by Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) A huge dri l l rig operated by the field operation section of INDOT’s Geotechnical Engineering Division (Geotech) is so productive, even during difficult jobs, INDOT personnel gave it a nickname: “Mean Jean.” After their old rig became unreliable and frequently broke down, Geotech purchased the new rig - a Central Mine Equipment (CME) 55 on a Peterbilt 348 chassis. Drilling contractors are using the rig to perform geotechnical investigations across Indiana, including borings, collecting soil and rock cores, sampling pavement cores, and performing lab testing. INDOT engineers analyze field and lab data to develop a subsurface profile and optimize foundation design to support bridges, roadways, pavement, retaining walls, and drainage structures. The data also helps inform engineers when dealing with landslides, karst, unstable soil, soft rock, or any caving issues which may result from abandoned underground coal mines. Geotech tackles most of INDOT’s in-house design and emergency projects. Without the help of Mean Jean, they would not be nearly as effective. The rig is 27 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 11 feet high, with an additional 25-foot mast height. It carries dozens of 5-foot-long hollow-stem augers and 5-foot solid-stem augers, plus split spoons and rods for sampling. Mean Jean is working year-round collecting soil samples at proposed INDOT projects. Routine borings go 20 feet deep, but the crew has also used the rig to take 120-foot borings. During those jobs, the 360-gallon water tank is employed to flush out fine sand and/or rock core fragments between drillings. “There are 259 soil types in Indiana, and it’s important for engineers to know what they’re dealing with,” said crew member Eric Roush. “I enjoy the job, as I’m assuring that citizens are getting the best road product.” C&G
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