Repurposing Poly(3-hexylthiophene) as a Conductivity-Reducing Additive for Polyethylene-Based High-Voltage Insulation
Journal article, 2021

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is found to be a highly effective conductivity-reducing additive for low-density polyethylene (LDPE), which introduces a new application area to the field of conjugated polymers. Additives that reduce the direct-current (DC) electrical conductivity of an insulation material at high electric fields have gained a lot of research interest because they may facilitate the design of more efficient high-voltage direct-current power cables. An ultralow concentration of regio-regular P3HT of 0.0005 wt% is found to reduce the DC conductivity of LDPE threefold, which translates into the highest efficiency reported for any conductivity-reducing additive to date. The here-established approach, i.e., the use of a conjugated polymer as a mere additive, may boost demand in absolute terms beyond the quantities needed for thin-film electronics, which would turn organic semiconductors from a niche product into commodity chemicals.

low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

conjugated polymers

electrical conductivity reducing additives

poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)

high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) insulation

Show all persons

Published in

Advanced Materials

0935-9648 (ISSN) 15214095 (eISSN)

Vol. 33 Issue 27 art. no 2100714

Categorizing

Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)

Polymer Chemistry

Textile, Rubber and Polymeric Materials

Materials Chemistry

Areas of Advance

Energy

Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/adma.202100714

PubMed

34048610

More information

Latest update

3/25/2025