Electrode material for a spark plug and method of making the same

摘要

An electrode material that may be used in spark plugs and other ignition devices for igniting an air/fuel mixture in an engine. The electrode material has a metal ceramic composite structure and includes a particulate component embedded or dispersed within a matrix component such that the electrode material has a multi-phase microstructure. In an exemplary embodiment, the matrix component includes platinum (Pt) and one or more additive metals like nickel (Ni) or palladium (Pd), and the particulate component includes an electrically conductive ceramic, such as titanium diboride (TiB2). A liquid phase or a solid phase sintering process may be used, depending on the particular constituency of the electrode material.

主权项

1. A spark plug, comprising:
a metallic shell having an axial bore; an insulator having an axial bore and being at least partially disposed within the axial bore of the metallic shell; a center electrode being at least partially disposed within the axial bore of the insulator; and a ground electrode being attached to a free end of the metallic shell; wherein the center electrode, the ground electrode, or both the center and ground electrodes include an electrode material with a metal ceramic composite structure that has a particulate component embedded in a matrix component, and the matrix component includes a platinum-based material and constitutes about 80.0-99.5 wt % of the electrode material, and the particulate component includes an electrically conductive ceramic and constitutes about 0.5-20.0 wt % of the electrode material.