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Quantum Mechanical Criteria for Choosing Appropriate Voltage Stabilization Additives for PE

Full article appears in Polymer Degradation and Stability Journal, Volume 94, Issue 2, February 2009, pages 171 - 175

Geometry of the double needle treeing test

Solid dielectric polymers are highly effective power cable insulation materials. Since the electrical aging of the insulating polymeric materials is one of the most important factors affecting the service lifetime of power cables, developing a model which can be used to design materials with improved resistance to electrical degradation would be highly beneficial to customers and end users alike.

Researchers Srdjan Kisin, Jaap den Doelder, Robert F. Eaton and Paul J. Caronia of The Dow Chemical Company developed a model for the electrical field within the polymer material that is contaminated with a sharp conducting defect (a metallic needle). They then defined parameters characterizing the resistance of polymers to electrical treeing. The model was used to analyze data for the electrical degradation of PE stabilized with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Based on quantum mechanically calculated electron affinities and ionization potentials of the stabilizer molecules, the researchers discovered that if a molecule is to be considered for voltage stabilization use, it has to have a specific combination of the ionization potential and adiabatic electron affinity. The model allows for a choice of appropriate voltage stabilizers based on theoretical calculations only and can help to facilitate any experimental study for choosing appropriate voltage stabilizer additives.

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Contour plot of dependence of electrical resistance as a function of molecule’s adiabatic electron affinity and ionization energy