Spark plug including high temperature performance electrode
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Ignition Company
InventorsShuwei Ma, James D. Lykowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spark plug includes at least one electrode having a sparking end. The sparking end is formed of a high temperature performance alloy including chromium in an amount of 10.0 weight percent to 60.0 weight percent, palladium in an amount of 0.5 weight percent to 10.0 weight percent, and a balance substantially of at least one of molybdenum and tungsten. The sparking end presents a spark contact surface, and at a temperature of at least 500° C., such as during use of the spark plug in an internal combustion engine, a layer of chromium oxide (Cr2O3) forms at said spark contact surface. The layer of Cr2O3 protects the bulk of the sparking end from the extreme conditions of the combustion chamber and prevents erosion, corrosion, and balling.
Claims21
A spark plug comprising:
- at least one electrode having a sparking end,
- said sparking end including a high temperature performance alloy,
- said high temperature performance alloy including, in weight percent of said high temperature performance alloy, chromium in an amount of 10.0 weight percent to 60.0 weight percent, palladium in an amount of 0.5 weight percent to 10.0 weight percent, and a balance substantially of at least one of molybdenum and tungsten.
A spark plug comprising:
- at least one electrode having a sparking end,
- said sparking end including a high temperature performance alloy,
- said high temperature performance alloy including, in weight percent of said high temperature performance alloy, chromium in an amount of 20.0 weight percent to 40.0 weight percent, palladium in an amount of 0.5 weight percent to 2.5 weight percent, tungsten in an amount of 25.0 weight percent to 45.0 weight percent, and molybdenum in an amount of 25.0 weight percent to 45.0 weight percent.
An electrode for use in a spark plug comprising:
- a sparking end including a high temperature performance alloy,
- said high temperature performance alloy including, in weight percent of said high temperature performance alloy, chromium in an amount of 10.0 weight percent to 60.0 weight percent, palladium in an amount of 0.5 weight percent to 10.0 weight percent, and a balance substantially of at least one of molybdenum and tungsten.
A method of fabricating a spark plug (20) including an electrode (22, 24) having a sparking end (28, 32), comprising the steps of:
- providing a power metal material including chromium, palladium, and at least one of molybdenum and tungsten,
- forming the powder metal material into a sparking end (28, 32) of an electrode (22, 24), and
- heating the powder metal material to provide a high temperature performance alloy, comprising, in weight percent of the high temperature performance alloy, chromium in an amount of 10.0 weight percent to 60.0 weight percent, palladium in an amount of 0.5 weight percent to 10.0 weight percent, and a balance substantially of at least one of molybdenum and tungsten.
An electrode for use in a spark plug comprising:
- a sparking end including a high temperature performance alloy,
- said high temperature performance alloy including chromium, palladium and at least one of tungsten or molybdenum, wherein the amount of the at least one of tungsten or molybdenum is greater than or equal to the amount of chromium, the amount of chromium is greater than or equal to the amount of palladium, and the amount of palladium is less than or equal to 3.0 weight percent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.