Ceramic with improved high temperature electrical properties for use as a spark plug insulator

1. A ceramic material comprising:

an alumina in an amount of less than 99.9% by weight of the ceramic material; and

a glass in an amount of up to approximately 12% by weight of the ceramic material and wherein said glass includes at least 1% Phosphorus Oxide by weight of the glass and at least 0.5% Boron Oxide by weight of said glass.

2. The ceramic material of claim 1 wherein said glass includes greater than approximately 1.5% Boron Oxide by weight of said glass.

3. The ceramic material of claim 1 wherein said glass includes approximately 0.5%-20% Phosphorus Oxide.

4. The ceramic material of claim 3 wherein said glass includes by weight approximately 1-15% Phosphorus Oxide.

5. The ceramic material of claim 4 wherein said glass includes approximately 2-20% Boron Oxide by weight of said glass.

6. The ceramic material of claim 5 wherein said glass includes by weight approximately 2.5-11% Boron Oxide.

7. The ceramic material of claim 6 wherein said glass includes by weight approximately 9% Phosphorus Oxide and approximately 5.5% Boron Oxide.

8. The ceramic material of claim 1 wherein said glass further includes CaO, MgO, Al 2 O 3 , and ZrO 2 .

9. The ceramic material of claim 1 further including CaO, MgO, Al 2 O 3 , and ZrO 2 .

10. The ceramic material of claim 1 wherein said Phosphorus Oxide is at least 0.05% by weight of the ceramic material and Boron Oxide is at least 0.09% by weight of the ceramic material.

11. The ceramic material of claim 1 wherein said Phosphorus Oxide is less than about 1% by weight of the ceramic material and Boron Oxide is less than about 0.6% by weight of the ceramic material.

12. A ceramic, comprising:

alumina in an amount between about 90 and about 99% by weight;

a zirconium containing compound in an amount between about 0.01% and about 1% by weight; and

an oxide mixture in an amount between about 1 and about 10% by weight, said oxide mixture including a glass former, a network modifier, Boron Oxide, and Phosphorus Oxide, and wherein the molar ratio of said glass former to said network modifier ranges between about 0.8:1 and 1.2:1.

13. The ceramic of claim 12 , comprising:

said zirconium containing compound in an amount between about 0.25 and about 0.35% by weight; and

said oxide mixture in an amount between about 3.15 and about 4.75% by weight, wherein said network modifier comprises at least one of MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, Na 2 O, K 2 O and Li 2 O.

14. The ceramic of claim 12 , wherein:

said glass former comprises SiO 2 in an amount between about 62 to about 92% by weight.

15. The ceramic of claim 14 , comprising said oxide mixture in an amount about 3.9% by weight.

16. The ceramic of claim 15 , wherein said oxide mixture comprises:

said CaO in an amount about 1.4%-1.6% by weight;

said MgO in an amount about 0.2%-0.3% by weight; and

said SiO 2 in an amount about 2%-2.5% by weight.

17. The ceramic of claim 12 , wherein said oxide mixture comprises a calcium alumina-silicate glass.