The effect of blending polypropylene on the electrical properties of polymeric insulation material H

Extensive physical testing has suggested that polymeric material Hifax (Flexible Polypropylene)could be a promising candidate for the next generation of DC insulation. In the work presented in this paper,the DC conductivity and AC breakdown of this polymeric insulation material have been measured as a function of temperature. The results show that Hifax cable insulation has a higher AC breakdown strength than EPR and XLPE (crosslinked polyethylene), and the DC resistivity of Hifax is larger than that of XLPE and oil-impregnated paper insulations. The electrical stress coefficient of resistivity of Hifax wire insulation increases with temperature, which needs to be taken into account in calculating the electrical field distribution across DC cable insulation. It has been observed that there is an anomalous change in resistivity at high electrical field, suggesting charge trapping and detrapping processes are present in Hifax cable insulation. It is concluded that blending Hifax with 62% polypropylene decreases the breakdown strength significantly.