EP2118973A1 - Spark plug and insulator composed of high-purity aluminium oxide ceramic - Google Patents

Spark plug and insulator composed of high-purity aluminium oxide ceramic

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Publication number
EP2118973A1
EP2118973A1 EP07856717A EP07856717A EP2118973A1 EP 2118973 A1 EP2118973 A1 EP 2118973A1 EP 07856717 A EP07856717 A EP 07856717A EP 07856717 A EP07856717 A EP 07856717A EP 2118973 A1 EP2118973 A1 EP 2118973A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
insulator
spark plug
alumina
plug according
sintering
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP07856717A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP2118973B1 (en
Inventor
Niessner Werner
Knoch Martin
Stetter Klaus
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH
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Beru AG
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Publication of EP2118973A1 publication Critical patent/EP2118973A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2118973B1 publication Critical patent/EP2118973B1/en
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
    • H01T13/00—Sparking plugs
    • H01T13/20—Sparking plugs characterised by features of the electrodes or insulation
    • H01T13/38—Selection of materials for insulation
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
    • H01T21/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of spark gaps or sparking plugs
    • H01T21/02—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture or maintenance of spark gaps or sparking plugs of sparking plugs

Definitions

  • the invention is based on a spark plug with the features indicated in the preamble of claim 1.
  • a spark plug is known from EP 0 954 074 B1.
  • Advanced gasoline engines require more space in the cylinder head for intake valves and exhaust valves, and this is one reason why spark plugs with smaller diameters than before are required today.
  • Lighter spark plugs require a slimmer insulator. This in turn requires higher demands on the mechanical strength and electrical insulation, namely the dielectric strength, of the existing in the spark plug insulator, which usually consists of an alumina ceramic.
  • JP-A 63-190753 discloses an alumina ceramic insulator made by mixing 95% by weight of alumina powder having an average particle size of 0.1 ⁇ m to 0.5 ⁇ m with yttria, magnesia and lanthana, pressing and sintering is produced at liquid phase.
  • the yttria, magnesium oxide and lanthanum oxide together make up 5% by weight of the mixture and as a sintering aid by leading to a liquid phase during sintering, the melting point of which is far below the melting point of the aluminum oxide.
  • the liquid phase spreads at the boundaries of the alumina particles and is said to inhibit their growth in the sintering process so that the sintered insulator still has a very finely divided structure.
  • the preserved by the sintering aids fine structure leads to the disclosure of JP-A 63-190753 to an extension of along the boundaries of the alumina particles enriched, enriched with the sintering aids paths, which would move at voltage breakdown electric charges, and thus leads to a Increasing the electrical breakdown strength of the insulator.
  • an adverse effect on the electrical breakdown strength the fine pores, which are particularly numerous in the finely structured sintered insulator and the number increases with increasing content of alumina in the insulator, because at the same time the proportion of sintering aids, by the formation of a liquid phase the pores could close, decreasing.
  • EP 0 954 074 B1 discloses a spark plug with an insulator which, although having 95% by weight to 99.7% by weight of aluminum oxide, has a higher alumina content than that known from JP-A 63-190753 Isolator, for reducing the number of pores but the finely divided material structure of the insulator of JP-A 63-190753 avoids and instead provides that at least half of the insulator of alumina particles having a particle size of not less than 20 microns is formed.
  • This insulator is prepared by mixing alumina powder having an average particle size of not more than 1 .mu.m with 0.3 to 5 wt .-% of a sintering aid, pressed and sintered at a temperature between 1450 ° C and 1700 ° C in the liquid phase becomes.
  • the sintering aid is selected so as not to interfere with the growth of the alumina powder particles during sintering. The sintering process takes place until at least half of the aluminum oxide has grown to particles with a size of 20 microns or more.
  • the sintering aid forms a liquid phase during sintering, which is to favor a small pore volume.
  • EP 0 954 074 B1 is achieved with an insulator for a spark plug a dielectric strength of z. B. 37 kV, because the particle growth on the one hand, the number of particle boundaries, along which an electrical On the other hand, the number of triple points in the particle boundaries has decreased, in which the glass phases formed by the sintering aids are preferably deposited and from which voltage breakthroughs preferably start their output.
  • the present invention aims at a further improvement of the dielectric strength of the insulator in spark plugs both at room temperature and in particular at the high temperatures which occur when the gasoline engine is at operating temperature.
  • the spark plug according to the invention has an insulator which contains 0.01% by weight to 1% by weight of magnesium oxide, at most 0.3% by weight of natural and / or impurities resulting from the production process and the balance aluminum oxide and by solid-phase sintering is formed so that it is largely free of glass phases.
  • the dielectric strength of the insulator is higher than in the prior art. At room temperature, breakdown voltages of 50 kV / mm and more were measured. This allows the production of spark plugs whose insulator only has a wall thickness of 0.8 mm and thus a breakdown voltage of 40 kV and more. • The high dielectric strength is maintained at working temperatures up to 900 ° C, which occur when the gasoline engine is warm.
  • the insulators show increased mechanical strength, in particular increased flexural strength and fatigue strength. •
  • the insulators have up to 15% higher thermal conductivity compared to the insulators in conventional spark plugs. This makes it possible to extend the insulator root of the spark plug, that is, the portion of the insulator projecting into the cylinder of the gasoline engine, without increasing the calorific value.
  • the advantage of such an insulator foot extension is an increase in the electrical shunt resistance of the spark plug and thereby a significant improvement in ignitability during cold starts and at repeat starts.
  • the insulator of the spark plug according to the invention shows a higher chemical resistance and thus contributes to an increase in the service life of the spark plug. •
  • the increased dielectric strength allows thinner insulators and thus slimmer spark plugs.
  • Slimmer spark plugs allow tighter screw-in thread, z. B. M12 and M10 threads, thereby providing more space in the cylinder head for intake and exhaust valves of the engine.
  • the insulator of the new spark plug contains 0.03 wt% to 0.15 wt%.
  • Magnesium oxide Even small additions of magnesium oxide reduce the crystal growth of the alumina during solid-phase sintering. From a content of 0.03 wt .-%, this effect becomes technically significant. At a content of more than 0.15% by weight of magnesium oxide, this effect is no longer significantly increased.
  • the insulator contains only natural and / or process-related impurities.
  • the invention dispenses with the addition of any sintering aids such as sodium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, silica, barium oxide, boron oxide and the like, which would form a liquid phase at temperatures at which alumina can be sintered in solid phase, from which Solidify a glass phase would.
  • Any minimal glass phases which may be detectable in an insulator according to the invention, can therefore only from the natural and / or process-related impurities present in the alumina come. In this sense, the statement in claim 1 is understood that the insulator should be largely free of glass phases.
  • the insulator of the spark plug according to the invention preferably contains more than 99.7% by weight of aluminum oxide. In this case, glass phases caused by the remaining impurities can no longer appreciably affect the electrical breakdown strength of the insulator.
  • a density of at least 3.85 g cm '3 is preferred.
  • Such a high density can be achieved if one starts from a very fine alumina powder, which preferably has an average particle size of less than 1 micron, if the insulator blanks sufficiently compacted before sintering, in particular by isostatic pressing, and if the sintering temperature and the sintering time is coordinated so that an insulator is obtained, in which 90 wt .-% of the alumina having particle sizes of less than 5 microns, more preferably with particle sizes of less than 3 microns.
  • the temperature for the solid phase sintering is a temperature in the range of 1,600 ° C to 1,700 ° C, well below the melting temperature of alumina, which is above 2,000 °.
  • Figure 1 shows in a partially sectioned side view of the typical structure of a spark plug according to the invention, which has a center electrode 1 and in its extension a firing pin 2, which are at a distance behind each other in an insulator 4 according to the invention, namely in a longitudinal channel in which they are interconnected by an electrically conductive glass phase 3.
  • the insulator 4 is inserted in a metallic body 5 in which it is fixed by crimping and electric shocks.
  • a ground electrode 6 is mounted, which is bent towards the center electrode 1 and this opposite to form a discharge gap with a defined distance.
  • the insulator consists z. B. from 99.8 wt .-% alumina, about 0.1 wt .-% magnesium oxide and the balance of natural and / or process-related impurities. It is formed by solid-phase sintering and contains no glass-containing secondary phase that can be detected by X-ray analysis.
  • the insulator according to the invention can be mounted in a known manner in the body 5 of the spark plug, so that existing manufacturing facilities and methods for mounting the insulator 4 as well as the center electrode 1 and the firing pin 2 can be used.
  • the required ceramic-metal compound is effected by means of an electrically conductive composite glass.
  • the electrically conductive glass mass 3 ensures the electrical connection between the center electrode 1 and the firing pin 2 and moreover has the task of introducing the center electrode 1 into the isolator 4 in a pressure-tight manner.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Spark Plugs (AREA)
  • Compositions Of Oxide Ceramics (AREA)

Abstract

A spark plug is described for Otto-cycle engines having a metallic spark plug body (5), having a centre electrode (1), having a ceramic insulator (4) which is arranged between the centre electrode (1) and the body (5) and is based on aluminium oxide, and having at least one earth electrode (6). The invention provides for the insulator (4) to be composed of 0.01% by weight to 1% by weight of magnesium oxide, at most 0.3% by weight of natural and/or impurities, with the rest being aluminium oxide, and being formed by solid phase sintering so that it is very largely free of glass phases.

Description

BE09E069WO_A001 πW/wh/10.12.2007 BE09E069WO_A001 πW / wh / 10.12.2007

BERU Aktiengesellschaft, Mörikestrasse 155, D-71636 LudwigsburgBERU Aktiengesellschaft, Mörikestrasse 155, D-71636 Ludwigsburg

Zündkerze mit einem Isolator aus hochreiner Aluminiumoxid-KeramikSpark plug with an insulator made of high-purity alumina ceramic

Die Erfindung geht von einer Zündkerze mit den im Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 1 ange- gebenen Merkmalen aus. Eine solche Zündkerze ist aus der EP 0 954 074 B1 bekannt.The invention is based on a spark plug with the features indicated in the preamble of claim 1. Such a spark plug is known from EP 0 954 074 B1.

Fortschrittliche Ottomotoren benötigen im Zylinderkopf mehr Platz für Einlassventile und Auslassventile und das ist eine Ursache dafür, dass heute Zündkerzen mit kleinerem Durchmesser als früher gefordert werden. Schlankere Zündkerzen benötigen einen schlankeren Isolator. Das wiederum bedingt höhere Anforderungen an die mechanische Festigkeit und die elektrische Isolationsfähigkeit, namentlich die elektrische Durchschlagsfestigkeit, des in der Zündkerze vorhandenen Isolators, welcher üblicherweise aus einer Aluminiumoxid-Keramik besteht.Advanced gasoline engines require more space in the cylinder head for intake valves and exhaust valves, and this is one reason why spark plugs with smaller diameters than before are required today. Lighter spark plugs require a slimmer insulator. This in turn requires higher demands on the mechanical strength and electrical insulation, namely the dielectric strength, of the existing in the spark plug insulator, which usually consists of an alumina ceramic.

Die JP-A 63-190753 offenbart einen Isolator aus einer Aluminiumoxid-Keramik, welche durch Mischen von 95 Gew.-% Aluminiumoxidpulver mit einer mittleren Teilchengröße von 0,1 μm bis 0,5 μm mit Yttriumoxid, Magnesiumoxid und Lanthanoxid, Pressen und Sintern bei flüssiger Phase hergestellt wird. Das Yttriumoxid, das Magnesiumoxid und das Lanthanoxid machen zusammengenommen 5 Gew.-% der Mischung aus und die- nen als Sinterhilfe, indem sie beim Sintern zu einer flüssigen Phase führen, deren Schmelzpunkt weit unter dem Schmelzpunkt des Aluminiumoxids liegt. Die flüssige Phase breitet sich an den Grenzen der Aluminiumoxidpartikel aus und soll deren Wachstum beim Sintervorgang hemmen, so dass der gesinterte Isolator noch immer eine sehr feinteilige Struktur aufweist. Die durch die Sinterhilfsmittel bewahrte feine Struktur führt nach der Offenbarung der JP-A 63-190753 zu einer Verlängerung der entlang der Grenzen der Aluminiumoxidpartikel verlaufenden, mit den Sinterhilfsmitteln angereicherten Wege, über welche sich beim Spannungsdurchbruch elektrische Ladungen bewegen würden, und führt damit zu einer Erhöhung der elektrischen Durch- Schlagsfestigkeit des Isolators. Einen gegenteiligen Einfluss auf die elektrische Durchschlagsfestigkeit haben allerdings die feinen Poren, die in dem fein strukturierten gesinterten Isolator besonders zahlreich vorhanden sind und deren Anzahl mit zunehmendem Gehalt von Aluminiumoxid im Isolator steigt, weil gleichzeitig der Anteil der Sinterhilfsmittel, die durch die Bildung einer flüssigen Phase die Poren schließen könnten, abnimmt.JP-A 63-190753 discloses an alumina ceramic insulator made by mixing 95% by weight of alumina powder having an average particle size of 0.1 μm to 0.5 μm with yttria, magnesia and lanthana, pressing and sintering is produced at liquid phase. The yttria, magnesium oxide and lanthanum oxide together make up 5% by weight of the mixture and as a sintering aid by leading to a liquid phase during sintering, the melting point of which is far below the melting point of the aluminum oxide. The liquid phase spreads at the boundaries of the alumina particles and is said to inhibit their growth in the sintering process so that the sintered insulator still has a very finely divided structure. The preserved by the sintering aids fine structure leads to the disclosure of JP-A 63-190753 to an extension of along the boundaries of the alumina particles enriched, enriched with the sintering aids paths, which would move at voltage breakdown electric charges, and thus leads to a Increasing the electrical breakdown strength of the insulator. However, an adverse effect on the electrical breakdown strength, the fine pores, which are particularly numerous in the finely structured sintered insulator and the number increases with increasing content of alumina in the insulator, because at the same time the proportion of sintering aids, by the formation of a liquid phase the pores could close, decreasing.

Um dieser Schwierigkeit zu entgehen offenbart die EP 0 954 074 B1 eine Zündkerze mit einem Isolator, der zwar mit 95 Gew.-% bis 99,7 Gew.-% Aluminiumoxid einen höheren Aluminiumoxidgehalt hat als der aus der JP-A 63-190753 bekannte Isolator, zur Verrin- gerung der Anzahl der Poren aber die feinteilige Werkstoffstruktur des Isolators aus der JP-A 63-190753 vermeidet und stattdessen vorsieht, dass mindestens die Hälfte des Isolators von Aluminiumoxidteilchen mit einer Teilchengröße von nicht weniger als 20 μm gebildet wird. Hergestellt wird dieser Isolator, indem Aluminiumoxidpulver mit einer mittleren Teilchengröße von nicht mehr als 1 μm mit 0,3 bis 5 Gew.-% eines Sinter- hilfsmittels gemischt, gepresst und bei einer Temperatur zwischen 1.450° C und 1.700° C bei flüssiger Phase gesintert wird. Das Sinterhilfsmittel ist so ausgewählt, dass es das Wachstum der Aluminiumoxid-Pulverteilchen beim Sintern nicht behindert. Der Sintervorgang findet so lange statt, bis mindestens die Hälfte des Aluminiumoxids zu Teilchen mit einer Größe von 20 μm oder mehr gewachsen ist. Das Sinterhilfsmittel bildet beim Sintern eine flüssige Phase, welche ein kleines Porenvolumen begünstigen soll.In order to avoid this difficulty, EP 0 954 074 B1 discloses a spark plug with an insulator which, although having 95% by weight to 99.7% by weight of aluminum oxide, has a higher alumina content than that known from JP-A 63-190753 Isolator, for reducing the number of pores but the finely divided material structure of the insulator of JP-A 63-190753 avoids and instead provides that at least half of the insulator of alumina particles having a particle size of not less than 20 microns is formed. This insulator is prepared by mixing alumina powder having an average particle size of not more than 1 .mu.m with 0.3 to 5 wt .-% of a sintering aid, pressed and sintered at a temperature between 1450 ° C and 1700 ° C in the liquid phase becomes. The sintering aid is selected so as not to interfere with the growth of the alumina powder particles during sintering. The sintering process takes place until at least half of the aluminum oxide has grown to particles with a size of 20 microns or more. The sintering aid forms a liquid phase during sintering, which is to favor a small pore volume.

Nach der Offenbarung der EP 0 954 074 B1 erreicht man damit bei einem Isolator für eine Zündkerze eine Durchschlagsfestigkeit von z. B. 37 kV, weil das Teilchenwachstum zum einen die Anzahl der Teilchengrenzen, entlang von welchen sich ein elektri- scher Spannungsdurchbruch fortpflanzen kann, verringert habe und weil sich andererseits auch die Anzahl von Tripelpunkten in den Teilchengrenzen verringert habe, in welchen sich die von den Sinterhilfen gebildeten Glasphasen bevorzugt ablagern und von welchen Spannungsdurchbrüche bevorzugt ihren Ausgang nehmen.According to the disclosure of EP 0 954 074 B1 is achieved with an insulator for a spark plug a dielectric strength of z. B. 37 kV, because the particle growth on the one hand, the number of particle boundaries, along which an electrical On the other hand, the number of triple points in the particle boundaries has decreased, in which the glass phases formed by the sintering aids are preferably deposited and from which voltage breakthroughs preferably start their output.

Zum Vergleich wurde in der EP 0 954 074 B1 ein Isolator aus 100 % Aluminiumoxid mit einer Reinheit von 99,9 % untersucht und festgestellt, dass er - bei einem Test unter öl - die mit Abstand niedrigste Durchbruchsspannung, die höchste Anzahl Poren und den mit Abstand geringsten Isolationswiderstand aufwies, weshalb er als ungeeignet ange- sehen wurde.For comparison, an insulator made of 100% alumina with a purity of 99.9% was investigated in EP 0 954 074 B1 and found that it - in a test under oil - by far the lowest breakdown voltage, the highest number of pores and with Distance was the lowest insulation resistance, which is why it was considered unsuitable.

Die vorliegende Erfindung bezweckt eine weitere Verbesserung der elektrischen Durchschlagsfestigkeit des Isolators in Zündkerzen sowohl bei Raumtemperatur als auch insbesondere bei den hohen Temperaturen, welche bei betriebswarmem Ottomotor auftre- ten.The present invention aims at a further improvement of the dielectric strength of the insulator in spark plugs both at room temperature and in particular at the high temperatures which occur when the gasoline engine is at operating temperature.

Diese Aufgabe wird gelöst durch eine Zündkerze mit den im Patentanspruch 1 angegebenen Merkmalen. Vorteilhafte Weiterbildungen der Erfindung sind Gegenstand der Unteransprüche.This object is achieved by a spark plug having the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

Die erfindungsgemäße Zündkerze hat einen Isolator, der 0,01 Gew.-% bis 1 Gew.-% Magnesiumoxid, höchstens 0,3 Gew.-% natürliche und/oder durch den Herstellungspro- zess bedingte Verunreinigungen und zum Rest Aluminiumoxid enthält und durch Festphasensintern gebildet ist, so dass er weitestgehend frei von Glasphasen ist.The spark plug according to the invention has an insulator which contains 0.01% by weight to 1% by weight of magnesium oxide, at most 0.3% by weight of natural and / or impurities resulting from the production process and the balance aluminum oxide and by solid-phase sintering is formed so that it is largely free of glass phases.

Überraschenderweise hat es sich gezeigt, dass Zündkerzen mit einem solchen Isolator gegenüber dem Stand der Technik wesentliche Vorteile haben:Surprisingly, it has been found that spark plugs having such an insulator have significant advantages over the prior art:

• Die Spannungsfestigkeit des Isolators ist höher als im Stand der Technik. Bei Zimmertemperatur wurden Durchbruchsspannungen von 50 kV/mm und mehr gemessen. Das erlaubt die Herstellung von Zündkerzen, deren Isolator nur noch eine Wandstärke von 0,8 mm und damit eine Durchbruchsspannung von 40 kV und mehr hat. • Die hohe Spannungsfestigkeit bleibt bei den Arbeitstemperaturen bis 900° C, welche bei betriebswarmem Ottomotor auftreten, erhalten.• The dielectric strength of the insulator is higher than in the prior art. At room temperature, breakdown voltages of 50 kV / mm and more were measured. This allows the production of spark plugs whose insulator only has a wall thickness of 0.8 mm and thus a breakdown voltage of 40 kV and more. • The high dielectric strength is maintained at working temperatures up to 900 ° C, which occur when the gasoline engine is warm.

• Die Isolatoren zeigen eine erhöhte mechanische Festigkeit, insbesondere eine erhöhte Biegefestigkeit und Biegewechselfestigkeit. • Die Isolatoren haben gegenüber den Isolatoren in herkömmlichen Zündkerzen eine um bis zu 15 % höhere Wärmeleitfähigkeit. Das macht es möglich, den Isolatorfuß der Zündkerze, das ist der in den Zylinder des Ottomotors ragende Abschnitt des Isolators, zu verlängern, ohne den Wärmewert zu erhöhen. Der Vorteil einer solchen Isolatorfußverlängerung ist eine Erhöhung des elektrischen Nebenschlusswiderstandes der Zündkerze und dadurch eine deutliche Verbesserung der Zündfähigkeit bei Kaltstarts und bei Wiederholstarts.The insulators show increased mechanical strength, in particular increased flexural strength and fatigue strength. • The insulators have up to 15% higher thermal conductivity compared to the insulators in conventional spark plugs. This makes it possible to extend the insulator root of the spark plug, that is, the portion of the insulator projecting into the cylinder of the gasoline engine, without increasing the calorific value. The advantage of such an insulator foot extension is an increase in the electrical shunt resistance of the spark plug and thereby a significant improvement in ignitability during cold starts and at repeat starts.

• Der Isolator der erfindungsgemäßen Zündkerze zeigt eine höhere chemische Beständigkeit und trägt somit zu einer Erhöhung der Lebensdauer der Zündkerze bei. • Die erhöhte Spannungsfestigkeit ermöglicht dünnere Isolatoren und damit schlankere Zündkerzen. Schlankere Zündkerzen erlauben engere Einschraubgewinde, z. B. Gewinde der Größe M12 und M10, und schaffen dadurch im Zylinderkopf mehr Platz für Einlassventile und Auslassventile des Motors.The insulator of the spark plug according to the invention shows a higher chemical resistance and thus contributes to an increase in the service life of the spark plug. • The increased dielectric strength allows thinner insulators and thus slimmer spark plugs. Slimmer spark plugs allow tighter screw-in thread, z. B. M12 and M10 threads, thereby providing more space in the cylinder head for intake and exhaust valves of the engine.

Vorzugsweise enthält der Isolator der neuen Zündkerze 0,03 Gew.-% bis 0,15 Gew.-%. Magnesiumoxid. Bereits geringe Zugaben von Magnesiumoxid vermindern das Kristallwachstum des Aluminiumoxids beim Festphasensintern. Ab einem Gehalt von 0,03 Gew.-% wird dieser Effekt technisch bedeutsam. Bei einem Gehalt von mehr als 0,15 Gew.-% Magnesiumoxid wird diese Wirkung nicht mehr signifikant erhöht.Preferably, the insulator of the new spark plug contains 0.03 wt% to 0.15 wt%. Magnesium oxide. Even small additions of magnesium oxide reduce the crystal growth of the alumina during solid-phase sintering. From a content of 0.03 wt .-%, this effect becomes technically significant. At a content of more than 0.15% by weight of magnesium oxide, this effect is no longer significantly increased.

Außer Aluminiumoxid und Magnesiumoxid enthält der Isolator nur noch natürliche und/oder prozessbedingte Verunreinigungen. Insbesondere verzichtet die Erfindung auf das Zusetzen irgendwelcher Sinterhilfsmittel wie Natriumoxid, Yttriumoxid, Lanthanoxid, Siliziumoxid, Bariumoxid, Boroxid und dergleichen, welche bei Temperaturen, bei wel- chen Aluminiumoxid in fester Phase gesintert werden kann, eine flüssige Phase bilden würden, aus welcher nach dem Erstarren eine Glasphase würde. Etwaige minimale Glasphasen, welche in einem erfindungsgemäßen Isolator nachweisbar sein mögen, können deshalb nur von den im Aluminiumoxid vorhandenen natürlichen und/oder prozessbedingten Verunreinigungen stammen. In diesem Sinne wird die Angabe im Patentanspruch 1 verstanden, dass der Isolator weitestgehend frei von Glasphasen sein soll.Except for aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide, the insulator contains only natural and / or process-related impurities. In particular, the invention dispenses with the addition of any sintering aids such as sodium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, silica, barium oxide, boron oxide and the like, which would form a liquid phase at temperatures at which alumina can be sintered in solid phase, from which Solidify a glass phase would. Any minimal glass phases, which may be detectable in an insulator according to the invention, can therefore only from the natural and / or process-related impurities present in the alumina come. In this sense, the statement in claim 1 is understood that the insulator should be largely free of glass phases.

Vorzugsweise enthält der Isolator der erfindungsgemäßen Zündkerze mehr als 99,7 Gew.-% Aluminiumoxid. In diesem Fall werden von den verbliebenen Verunreinigungen verursachte Glasphasen die elektrische Durchschlagsfestigkeit des Isolators nicht mehr spürbar beeinträchtigten können.The insulator of the spark plug according to the invention preferably contains more than 99.7% by weight of aluminum oxide. In this case, glass phases caused by the remaining impurities can no longer appreciably affect the electrical breakdown strength of the insulator.

Für den Isolator einer erfindungsgemäßen Zündkerze wird eine Dichte von mindestens 3,85g cm'3 bevorzugt. Eine solche hohe Dichte lässt sich erreichen, wenn man von einem sehr feinen Aluminiumoxidpulver ausgeht, welches vorzugsweise eine mittlere Teilchengröße von weniger als 1 μm aufweist, wenn man die Isolatorrohlinge vor dem Sintern hinreichend verdichtet, insbesondere durch isostatisches Pressen, und wenn man die Sintertemperatur und die Sinterdauer so aufeinander abstimmt, dass ein Isola- tor erhalten wird, in welchem 90 Gew.-% des Aluminiumoxids mit Teilchengrößen von kleiner als 5 μm, noch besser mit Teilchengrößen von kleiner als 3 μm vorliegen. Als Temperatur für das Festphasensintern eignet sich eine Temperatur im Bereich von 1.600° C bis 1.700° C, also deutlich unterhalb der Schmelztemperatur von Aluminiumoxid, welche oberhalb von 2.000° liegt.For the insulator of a spark plug according to the invention a density of at least 3.85 g cm '3 is preferred. Such a high density can be achieved if one starts from a very fine alumina powder, which preferably has an average particle size of less than 1 micron, if the insulator blanks sufficiently compacted before sintering, in particular by isostatic pressing, and if the sintering temperature and the sintering time is coordinated so that an insulator is obtained, in which 90 wt .-% of the alumina having particle sizes of less than 5 microns, more preferably with particle sizes of less than 3 microns. The temperature for the solid phase sintering is a temperature in the range of 1,600 ° C to 1,700 ° C, well below the melting temperature of alumina, which is above 2,000 °.

Figur 1 zeigt in einer teilweise geschnittenen Seitenansicht den typischen Aufbau einer erfindungsgemäßen Zündkerze, welche eine Mittelelektrode 1 und in ihrer Verlängerung einen Zündstift 2 hat, welche sich mit Abstand hintereinander in einem erfindungsgemäßen Isolator 4 befinden, nämlich in einem längs verlaufenden Kanal, in welchem sie durch eine elektrisch leitende Glasphase 3 miteinander verbunden sind. Der Isolator 4 steckt in einem metallischen Körper 5, in welchem er durch Bördeln und Elektrostau- chen festgelegt ist. Am Körper 5 ist eine Masseelektrode 6 angebracht, welche zur Mittelelektrode 1 hin gebogen ist und dieser unter Bildung eines Entladespaltes mit definiertem Abstand gegenüberliegt.Figure 1 shows in a partially sectioned side view of the typical structure of a spark plug according to the invention, which has a center electrode 1 and in its extension a firing pin 2, which are at a distance behind each other in an insulator 4 according to the invention, namely in a longitudinal channel in which they are interconnected by an electrically conductive glass phase 3. The insulator 4 is inserted in a metallic body 5 in which it is fixed by crimping and electric shocks. On the body 5, a ground electrode 6 is mounted, which is bent towards the center electrode 1 and this opposite to form a discharge gap with a defined distance.

Der Isolator besteht z. B. aus 99,8 Gew.-% Aluminiumoxid, ca. 0,1 Gew.-% Magnesiumoxid und zum Rest aus natürlichen und/oder prozessbedingten Verunreinigungen. Er ist durch Festphasensintern gebildet und enthält keine röntgenographisch nachweisbare glashaltige Sekundärphase. Der erfindungsgemäße Isolator lässt sich in bekannter Art und Weise in den Körper 5 der Zündkerze montieren, so dass vorhandene Fertigungseinrichtungen und Verfahren für die Montage des Isolators 4 ebenso wie der Mittelelektrode 1 und des Zündstiftes 2 verwendet werden können. Die erforderliche Keramik-Metallverbindung wird mittels eines elektrisch leitenden Kompositglases bewirkt. Die elektrisch leitende Glasmasse 3 stellt den elektrischen Anschluss zwischen der Mittelelektrode 1 und dem Zündstift 2 sicher und hat darüber hinaus die Aufgabe, die Mittelelektrode 1 druckdicht in den Isolator 4 einzubringen. The insulator consists z. B. from 99.8 wt .-% alumina, about 0.1 wt .-% magnesium oxide and the balance of natural and / or process-related impurities. It is formed by solid-phase sintering and contains no glass-containing secondary phase that can be detected by X-ray analysis. The insulator according to the invention can be mounted in a known manner in the body 5 of the spark plug, so that existing manufacturing facilities and methods for mounting the insulator 4 as well as the center electrode 1 and the firing pin 2 can be used. The required ceramic-metal compound is effected by means of an electrically conductive composite glass. The electrically conductive glass mass 3 ensures the electrical connection between the center electrode 1 and the firing pin 2 and moreover has the task of introducing the center electrode 1 into the isolator 4 in a pressure-tight manner.

Bezugszahlenliste:LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS:

1. Mittelelektrode1st center electrode

2. Zündstift2. firing pin

3. Glasphase3rd glass phase

4. Isolator4. Isolator

5. Körper5. Body

6. Masseelektrode 6. ground electrode

Claims

Patentansprüche: claims: 1. Zündkerze für Ottomotoren mit einem metallischen Zündkerzenkörper (5), mit einer Mittelelektrode (1), mit einem zwischen der Mittelelektrode (1 ) und dem Körper (5) angeordneten keramischen Isolator (4) auf der Basis von Aluminiumoxid und mit wenigstens einer Masseelektrode (6), dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Isolator (4) 0,01 Gew.-% bis 1 Gew.-% Magnesiumoxid, höchstens 0,3 Gew.-% natürliche und/oder prozessbedingte Verunreinigungen und zum Rest Aluminiumoxid enthält und durch Festphasensintern gebildet ist, so dass er weitestgehend frei von Glas- phasen ist.A spark plug for gasoline engines comprising a metallic spark plug body (5) having a center electrode (1) and a ceramic insulator (4) made of alumina and having at least one ground electrode disposed between the center electrode (1) and the body (5) (6), characterized in that the insulator (4) 0.01 wt .-% to 1 wt .-% magnesium oxide, at most 0.3 wt .-% natural and / or process-related impurities and the balance contains alumina and by solid phase sintering is formed so that it is largely free of glass phases. 2. Zündkerze nach Anspruch 1 , dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Gehalt an Magnesiumoxid 0,03 Gew.-% bis 0,15 Gew.-% beträgt.2. Spark plug according to claim 1, characterized in that the content of magnesium oxide is 0.03 wt .-% to 0.15 wt .-%. 3. Zündkerze nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Isolator (4) mehr als 99,7 Gew.-% Aluminiumoxid enthält.3. Spark plug according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the insulator (4) contains more than 99.7 wt .-% alumina. 4. Zündkerze nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Isolator (4) eine Dichte von mindestens 3,85g cm"3 aufweist.4. Spark plug according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulator (4) has a density of at least 3.85 g cm "3 . 5. Zündkerze nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Isolator (4) eine Dichte von 3,90 +- 0,02g cm"3 aufweist.5. Spark plug according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the insulator (4) has a density of 3.90 + - 0.02g cm "3 . 6. Zündkerze nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet dass im Isolator (4) 90 Gew.-% des Aluminiumoxids mit Kristallitgrößen von kleiner als 5 μm (mittlerer Durchmesser) vorliegen.6. Spark plug according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the insulator (4) 90 wt .-% of the aluminum oxide with crystallite sizes of less than 5 microns (average diameter) are present. 7. Zündkerze nach Anspruch 6, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass im Isolator (4) 90 Gew.-% des Aluminiumoxids mit Kristallitgrößen von kleiner als 3 μm vorliegen. 7. Spark plug according to claim 6, characterized in that present in the insulator (4) 90 wt .-% of the aluminum oxide with crystallite sizes of less than 3 microns.
EP07856717A 2006-12-20 2007-12-13 Spark plug and insulator composed of high-purity aluminium oxide ceramic Active EP2118973B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102006061907A DE102006061907A1 (en) 2006-12-20 2006-12-20 Spark plug with an insulator made of high-purity alumina ceramic
PCT/EP2007/010974 WO2008074438A1 (en) 2006-12-20 2007-12-13 Spark plug and insulator composed of high-purity aluminium oxide ceramic

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EP2118973A1 true EP2118973A1 (en) 2009-11-18
EP2118973B1 EP2118973B1 (en) 2010-05-12

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EP (1) EP2118973B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2010514114A (en)
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AT (1) ATE467930T1 (en)
DE (2) DE102006061907A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2008074438A1 (en)

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US11870221B2 (en) 2021-09-30 2024-01-09 Federal-Mogul Ignition Llc Spark plug and methods of manufacturing same

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DE3802233A1 (en) * 1987-01-22 1988-08-04 Jidosha Kiki Co GLOW PLUG FOR A DIESEL ENGINE
JPH0712969B2 (en) 1987-01-30 1995-02-15 日本電装株式会社 Alumina porcelain and spark plug
JP2925425B2 (en) * 1993-04-26 1999-07-28 日本特殊陶業株式会社 Insulator for spark plug
JP3036367B2 (en) * 1994-08-19 2000-04-24 住友金属工業株式会社 Alumina porcelain composition
CN1265522C (en) * 1998-02-27 2006-07-19 日本特殊陶业株式会社 Spark plug, alumina-based insulator for spark plug and production method for same
JP3859354B2 (en) * 1998-04-30 2006-12-20 日本特殊陶業株式会社 Spark plug, spark plug insulator and method of manufacturing the same
JP2000007425A (en) * 1998-06-29 2000-01-11 Sumitomo Chem Co Ltd High strength alumina substrate and method for manufacturing the same
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US20100007260A1 (en) 2010-01-14
WO2008074438A1 (en) 2008-06-26
ATE467930T1 (en) 2010-05-15
JP2010514114A (en) 2010-04-30
DE102006061907A1 (en) 2008-06-26
KR20090098972A (en) 2009-09-18
EP2118973B1 (en) 2010-05-12
DE502007003810D1 (en) 2010-06-24

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