Do you know what are Ruthenium Spark Plugs? Have you read about its pros and cons? If not, here is everything that you need to know about it!
Automobiles are designed and developed to have components that are meant to sustain the vehicle throughout its life cycle. Each and every component has a task to perform. In any case, if it fails to perform optimally, then it can harm the engine as a whole. Therefore, the components that form an engine must be serviced regularly.
Among the huge list of components that require service, there are ones that need quite the attention which if ignored will cause damage to the engine. By this, we mean that such components can lead to a complete engine rebuild. One such component that requires your attention every 50,000kms to 90,000kms is the spark plug.
What Are Spark Plugs?
A spark plug is a device that provides electric current in the form of sparks to trigger the air and fuel in the cylinders of an engine to generate combustion. This helps the car crank up. The process of combustion requires the presence of spark plugs that get electrical current via a battery.
If the spark plugs fail to function optimally, it will affect the performance of the engine and its operation. It can denigrate the fuel efficiency of the vehicle and can cause poor acceleration.
As for the material used in its construction, spark plugs are made of small parts and are constructed using copper, iridium, platinum and ruthenium among others. A spark plug comes built with a metal threaded shell and a ceramic insulator, a material that does not conduct electricity from a central electrode that potentially helps in the ignition. Now that we have discussed the basic parts of a spark plug, you might be wondering how spark plugs have electrical grounding?
Spark plugs have a metal shell that is screwed into the cylinder head of the engine, therefore they are electrically grounded. It's as simple as that!
Now that we have discussed what are spark plugs, let us come to the main point of discussion to interpret and describe the significance of their association with 'Ruthenium'.
What Are Ruthenium Spark Plugs?
Nowadays, spark plugs are made of improved and advanced materials to promote better service life and to enhance the overall performance of the engine. One such improved and advanced automotive spark plugs that are currently available in the market are ruthenium spark plugs manufactured by the brand named NGK. Basically, the electrodes of the plugs are made of the metal ruthenium.
What is ruthenium?
Ruthenium is a rare transition metal that belongs to the platinum group and its symbol is Ru. The atomic number of Ruthenium is 44. It has a high melting temperature of 4233 degrees Fahrenheit. The component has anti-corrosive properties and also resists oxidation when compared to iridium that is used in the construction of spark plugs. As a result, ruthenium is the right choice of material used while making sparkplugs.
Is Ruthenium better than Iridium spark plugs?
Ruthenium and Iridium provide somewhat similar performance. Both the spark plugs are durable and have anti-corrosive properties, however, ruthenium spark plugs have an upper hand in terms of durability as the period of replacement of the spark plugs is 1,00,000 km when compared to the Iridium spark plugs that wear out at every 80,000km.
Also Read: PPF Vs Ceramic Coating - Which is Better?
Here is a quick comparison chart for your reference:
| Component | Ruthenium | Iridium |
| Group Name | Iron family | Cobalt family |
| Durability | 1,00,000Kms between replacement | 80,000kms |
| Melting Point | 2334 degree Celsius | 2000 degree Celsius |
| Properties | Anti-corrosive and anti-seizing properties | Anti-corrosive property. |
Pros And Cons Of Ruthenium Spark Plugs:
Pros:
1. Ruthenium spark plugs offer better performance in terms of ignitibility which is required for improved quality of air and fuel mixture based combustion.
2. Ruthenium spark plugs reduce the emission levels by assisting the engine to enable complete combustion, as a result of which, lesser exhaust gases are emitted.
3. The spark plugs are performance-oriented, hence, enhances the throttle responses. The vehicle equipped with ruthenium spark plugs is said to perform optimally. The acceleration power of the vehicle is also enhanced due to the quick air and fuel mixture inside the chambers during the process of combustion.
4. The introduction of Ruthenium Spark plugs by manufacturers is due to the affordability factor associated with them. In simple, this spark plug is affordable compared to other types of spark plugs that are available in the market. Also, ruthenium spark plugs come as an aftermarket product, so that one can equip their car with it easily.
5. They are also known to improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle as the process of combustion is much quicker and cleaner.
Cons:
1. Although they provide superior performance in terms of improved acceleration power and fewer greenhouse emissions, ruthenium spark plugs are quite unpredictable in terms of their behaviour under extreme conditions.
2. They are prone to encounter wear and tear at higher engine revs, therefore, they would require regular checkups.
3. Since it is a new technology, there is not much data that states the long-term behaviours of the spark plugs in terms of their performance. Therefore, it is recommended to consult authorised dealers of vehicles to find out if they are a great alternative or not.
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