Invariant electrical conductivity upon thermal ageing of a crosslinked copolymer blend for high voltage insulation
Journal article, 2022

Click chemistry type reactions between polyethylene-based copolymers are a promising and by-product free alternative to peroxide crosslinking of low-density polyethylene, which is widely used as an insulation material for high-voltage power cables. Here, the impact of thermal ageing on the long-term stability of the thermo-mechanical and dielectric properties of a copolymer blend is evaluated that can be cured through a by-product free reaction between the epoxy and carboxylic acid functional groups attached to the polyethylene backbone. It is observed that ageing at 90 degrees C in air for up to 2500 h does not affect the direct current (DC) electrical conductivity of about 3 x 10(-14) S m(-1), provided that a suitable antioxidant is added that prevents the thermo-oxidative degradation of the polyethylene backbone. Furthermore, the material maintains its thermo-mechanical properties upon ageing such as a high ductility at room temperature and a stiffness of about 1 MPa above the melting temperature of polyethylene. Evidently, the use of click chemistry type reactions is a promising strategy for the design of new high-voltage insulation materials that can be cured without the formation of by-products.

Author

Sarath Kumara

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Amir Masoud Pourrahimi

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Azadeh Soroudi

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Xiangdong Xu

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Thomas Hammarström

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Yuriy Serdyuk

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Christian Müller

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Materials Advances

26335409 (eISSN)

Vol. 3 11 4718-4723

Subject Categories

Polymer Chemistry

Polymer Technologies

Materials Chemistry

DOI

10.1039/d2ma00153e

More information

Latest update

3/7/2024 9