Spark plug having an ablative coating for anticontaminat fouling

The spark plug for an internal combustion engine comprising:

• a center electrode having an end which faces a combustion chamber;
• a ceramic insulator having an end portion over which an ablative coating is formed for removing contaminants deposited thereon, said ablative coating including a solid suspension material interdispersed in a binder material, wherein said solid suspension material is selected from the group consisting of kaolin, ball clay, bentonite, quartz, zirconia and combinations thereof and said binder material is selected from the group consisting of colloidal silica, colloidal alumina, methyl cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol and combinations thereof, said center electrode being substantially enclosed within said ceramic insulator such that said end facing said combustion chamber extends outwardly from said end portion of said ceramic insulator;
• a metal housing within which said end portion of said ceramic insulator is enclosed;
• and
• a ground electrode extending from said metal housing to said end of said center electrode facing said chamber to define a spark gap between said ground electrode and said end of said center electrode.

A method for preventing misstarts of an internal combustion engine prior to sustained operation thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

• coating an end of a ceramic insulator in a spark plug with an ablative coating, said ablative coating comprising a solid suspension material interdispersed in a binder material, said spark plug having a center electrode substantially enclosed within said ceramic insulator such that an end of said center electrode which faces a combustion chamber extends outwardly through said ceramic insulator, said spark plug further including a ground electrode extending from a metal housing to said end of said center electrode facing said combustion chamber to define a spark gap between said ground electrode and said chamber end of said electrode;
• mounting said spark plug into said internal combustion engine;
• and
• igniting said spark plug by starting said internal combustion engine for short time intervals so as to ablate said ablative coating prior to sustained operation of said internal combustion engine.