Additive manufacturing of architectured cemented carbide substrates for enhanced polycrystalline diamond compacts: A comprehensive review

Polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs) are critical in oil, gas, and geological drilling applications owing to their superior wear resistance and impact toughness. Their performance is fundamentally governed by the properties of their cemented carbide substrates. Substrate configuration design has emerged as a viable approach to transcend the conventional strength–hardness–toughness trade-off. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of complex substrate architectures, thereby facilitating the implementation of advanced design concepts in PDCs. This review systematically outlines recent advances in the configuration design of PDC substrates, highlighting representative AM techniques that permit multiscale structuring, multi-material integration, and multifunctional performance in cemented carbides. Particular focus is placed on powder extrusion-based 3D printing for producing architectured substrates, and the compatibility of this method with high-pressure, high-temperature sintering for PDC fabrication is examined. The roles of configured substrates in regulating the mechanical properties and service life of PDCs are analyzed, alongside their performance-enhancing mechanisms. Finally, prospective research directions and development trends for next-generation PDCs are discussed in the context of emerging extreme service environments, such as deep-sea, deep-earth, and aerospace applications.