The influence of pre-stressing on breakdown characteristics in liquid silicone rubber

Liquid silicone rubber (LSR) has increasingly been used as one kind of inner insulating material. Studies of space charge and its effect during pre-stressing and breakdown (BD) process in LSR were carried out. DC electrical breakdown field (BDF) of LSR specimens before and after DC electrical pre-stressing was measured. The space charge characteristics of LSR specimens under different DC electrical pre-stressing fields and that during the BD processes were measured by a pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method. It was found that the amount of homo space charges near electrodes increases obviously as a rising electric field is applied. Whether the polarity of BDF is the same as that of the pre-stressing field or not, the DC BDF of pre-stressed specimens is higher than that of specimens without pre-stressing. However, the pre-stressing does not show monotone and saturation effects, as generally occurs in the literature. In hetero BD experiments for example, with an increasing pre-stressing field, the DC BDF first increases up to 14.5% at the pre-stressing field of 25 kV/mm and then decreases. The influence of pre-stressing on the BD processes in LSR are discussed. The relationship between space charge and the DC BDF was related to the microstructure of nano-silica and LSR molecules.     

Electrical tree initiation in silicone rubber under DC and polarity reversal voltages

With the fast development of high voltage DC (HVDC) cable, cable insulation under DC conditions has got more attention. In this paper, tests were conducted to study the electrical tree initiation in silicone rubber (SIR) under DC and polarity reversal voltages. It is found that electrical tree initiation has significant polarity effects under both DC and polarity reversal voltages. There are only single-branch-like trees and branch-like trees under DC and polarity reversal voltages. As for pre-stressing effects under polarity reversal, the pre-stressing voltage has positive effects to electrical tree initiation, while the pre-stressing time has little influence. Space charge distribution of SIR under high electric field was studied with flat plate pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) system, and their characteristics were discussed to explain this phenomenon. Moreover, different treeing breakdown phenomenon is found under polarity reversal voltage which differs from that under DC voltage. The existence of fast charges and slow charges gives reasonable explanation to it. Special attention should be paid to the transient situation like polarity reversal which would result in irreversible effects more easily, and affect true length of life for HVDC cables.     

Space charge phenomena in oil-paper insulation materials under high voltage direct current

The wide use of high voltage direct current (HVDC) equipments, such as convert transformer, DC bushing, DC cables, makes the research of oil-paper material insulation extraordinarily important. The space charge effect is the key insulation problem of HVDC equipments. This paper studied the space charge characteristics of oil-paper insulation materials by Pulsed Electro-Acoustic (PEA) method. In this paper, we studied and discussed the relationship between space charge and breakdown in oil-paper. The results show that the space charge comes from ionization at lower field intensity. When the stress is getting higher, injection of homo carriers occurs first at cathode and later at anode. The space charge inside oil-paper sample results in an electrical field distortion up to 40%. The conductivity of oil-paper insulation material is much larger than that of polyethylene, so the space charge dissipates fast when depolarized. The fast dissipation of space charge will play a key role of oil-paper insulating performance in condition of polarity reversal under HVDC. When the applied negative electrical field rose to between 50 kV/mm and 57 kV/mm, the oil-paper material got breakdown in a short time. During this process, an obvious movement of space charge was observed.     

Experiment and simulation of space charge suppression in LDPE/MgO nanocomposite under external DC electric field

In this paper, space charge dynamics under DC electric field of −100 kV/mm in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and its nanocomposite containing a small amount of MgO nanoparticles were measured using an improved pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) system. Unlike negative packet-like space charge accumulating in LDPE films, no remarkable space charge was observed in LDPE/MgO nanocomposite films, which indicated that the introduction of MgO nanoparticles played a key role on the space charge suppression. Different with current qualitative models, this paper describes space charge suppression on the basis of simulation using the bipolar charge transport model, which featured bipolar charges injection, transport, trapping, recombination, and extraction process. It was shown from the simulation that trap depth, trap concentration, local electric field and charge injection barrier height were all significant factors on the space charge suppression process. A deeper trap depth in LDPE/MgO nanocomposites made it easier for traps to capture mobile carriers. And a larger trap concentration effectively slowed down the whole carrier movement although there seemed a trap concentration threshold less than 30 Cm⁻³, above which this effect became slight. In addition, both the high permittivity of LDPE/MgO nanocomposites and low local electric field in the vicinity of cathode led to a larger injection barrier height based on the Schottky injection law, which would tremendously block the charge injection. At last, the suppression mechanism of space charge formation in the LDPE/MgO nanocomposites is presented.     

Electrical breakdown in ZnS:Mn films grown by rf-magnetron sputtering

We have studied the electrical breakdown field strength E_br of ZnS films doped with Mn(ZnS:Mn), produced by rf magnetron sputtering, as a function of film thickness d in the system Al-ZnS:Mn-Al. Electron-microscope studies have shown that breakdown is initiated under inhomogeneous field conditions imposed both by the roughness of the aluminum electrode and by the polycrystallinity of the ZnS:Mn film. An observed increase in E_br as d is reduced below 0.7 µm, with no polarity effect in breakdown under dc field conditions, is explained in terms of an electron-thermal breakdown model.Institute for Automation and Radio Electronics, Tomsk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 3, pp. 41–44, March, 1993.     

The effect of spontaneous polarization on two-dimensional elasticity of smectic liquid crystals

The influence of polarity on orientational elasticity and on structures formed in the director field is studied in free-standing smectic films. Periodic stripe patterns and 2π-walls in a magnetic field are investigated. Measurements are performed on a nonpolar racemic mixture, on an optically pure ferroelectric compound, and in mixtures with different concentrations of the chiral isomers of opposite signs. The structure of periodic stripes changes drastically with the polarity of the film. The ratio of the bend K _B and splay K _S elastic constants for smectic films is determined as a function of polarization from the structure of periodic stripe patterns and 2π-walls. We find that the elastic anisotropy K _B /K _S increases essentially with increasing the polarity of the film. Changes of the elasticity and the structure of periodic stripes are explained by polarization charge effects.     

掺杂水平对ZnO基变阻器电学性能的影响

根据相图规则设计、制备了三个系列不同Bi₂O₃与Sb₂O₃掺杂水平的ZnO基复合变阻器材料,研究了掺杂对氧化锌复合陶瓷电学性能的影响.研究发现,当Sb元素掺杂水平较低时,随着Sb₂O₃掺杂量的增加,所得氧化锌基变阻器材料漏电流的变化也很小,非线性系数(非线性系数α_L和击穿非线性系数α_B)将减小,而场强(场 关键词： 氧化锌 掺杂 复合陶瓷变阻器 电学性质     

Effect of mechanical loading on the electrical durability of polymers

A decrease in the electrical durability, which is defined as an amount of time required for dielectric breakdown at a constant electric field strength, of polyethylene and Lavsan (polyethylene terephthalate) films under tensile loading is registered in a temperature range from 100 to 300 K. It is established that the pulling apart of the axes of neighbor chain molecules in consequence of tensile loading gives rise to a decrease in the energy level of the intermolecular electron traps. In the amorphous region of a polymer, this accelerates the release of electrons from the traps through over-barrier transitions at higher temperatures ranging from about 230 to 350 K and quantum tunneling transitions at lower temperatures in the range from about 80 to 200 K. As a result, the time required for the formation of a critical space charge, i.e., the waiting period of dielectric breakdown, decreases, which means a reduction in the electrical durability of polymers.

     

Kinetics of nanoscale probe-based contact electrification between metal and polymethyl methacrylate under bias

Contact electrification (CE) has the potential to be a renewable energy resource, because it converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The kinetics of probe-based CE between metal and polymeric slab was studied by scanning probe microscopy. The CE static charges were produced on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) films by a Pt-coated probe under a bias (V_B) and characterized by electrostatic force microscopy. The metal/PMMA CE was attributed to the charge transfer between the Fermi level of the metal (E_f) and the neutral level of the surface states of PMMA (E_n). The kinetics of the probe-based metal/PMMA CE was described by a saturating exponential function and the saturated charge Q_S was proportional to the net bias, V_B − V_null, where the nulling bias V_null = −(E_n − E_f)/e. The kinetics was regarded as the charging to a conductor–capacitor series circuit. Q_S established a potential to cancel the net bias and ceased the CE. CE was a reversible process, and its transmission coefficient was asymmetric with the polarity of bias because of the heterogeneous nature of the metal/polymer contact.     

Temperature accelerated dielectric breakdown of PECVD low-k carbon doped silicon dioxide dielectric thin films

The dielectric breakdown strength of carbon doped silicon dioxide thin films with thickness d from 32 nm to 153 nm is determined at 25 °C, 50 °C, 100 °C, 150 °C and 200 °C, using I–V measurements with metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. It is found that the dielectric breakdown strength, E_B, decreases with increasing temperature for a given film thickness. In addition, a film thickness dependence of breakdown is also observed, which is argued to show an inverse relation to thickness d in the form of E_B∝(d-d_c)^-n. The exponential parameter n and critical thickness limit d_c also exhibit temperature dependent behavior, suggesting a temperature accelerated electron trapping process. The activation energy for the temperature acceleration was shown to be thickness dependent, indicating a thickness dependent conduction mechanism. It is thereafter demonstrated that for relatively thick films (thickness >50 nm), the conduction mechanism is Schottky emission. For relatively thin films (thickness <50 nm), the Schottky conduction mechanism was obeyed at low field region while FN tunnelling was observed as a prevail one in the high field region. PACS 73.40.Qv     

Optical and electrical properties of Y2O3 thin films prepared by ion beam assisted deposition

Y₂O₃ thin films were deposited by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) and the effects of fabrication parameters such as substrate temperature and ion energy on the structure, optical and electrical properties of the films were investigated. The results show that the deposited Y₂O₃ films had less optical absorption, larger refractive index, and better film crystallinity with the increase of substrate temperature or ion energy. The as-deposited Y₂O₃ films without ion-beam bombardment had larger relative dielectric constant (?_r) and the ?_r decreased with time even over by 40%, while the ?_r of films prepared with high ion energy had less changes, only less than 3%. Also, with the increase of ion energy, the electrical breakdown strength and the figure of merit increased.     

Calculation of transverse and longitudinal space charge effects within the framework of the fully six-dimensional formalism

In the following report we describe a method for calculating the envelope of a particle bunch in linear coupled storage rings and transport systems in the presence of transverse and longitudinal space charge forces using the (canonical) variablesx, p _x ,z, p _z , σ=s?v ₀·t,p _σ=ΔE/E ₀ of the fully six-dimensional formalism. This work is an extension of earlier calculations on transverse space charge forces [1] to include the synchrotron oscillations. The extension is achieved by defining a 6-dimensional ellipsoid in thex?p _x ?z?p _z ?σ?p _σ space. The motion of this ellipsoid under the influence of the external fields and the instantaneous space charge forces can be described by six generating orbit vectors which can be combined into a 6-dimensional matrixB(s). This “bunch-shape matrix”,B(s), contains complete information about the configuration of the bunch. The solution of the equations of motion is carried through in the thin lens approximation. The formalism can also encompass acceleration by cavity fields.     

Electric field breakdown in borosilicate glass and other amorphous insulators

It is proposed that the intrinsic breakdown field strenght, E_B, can be determined from P=σE²_B where P is the power absorbed from an incident pulse of X-rays and σ is the measured conductivity.     

Optical,photo-acoustic and electrical switching studies of amorphous GeS2 thin films

This paper reports optical, photo-acoustic and electrical switching investigations of GeS₂ amorphous thin films of different thicknesses, deposited on glass substrates in vacuum. The Tauc parameter (B ^1/2) and Urbach energy (E _U) have been determined from the transmittance spectra, to understand the changes in structural disorder; it is found that B ^1/2 increases whereas E _U decreases as the thickness of the films increases. Based on the results, it is suggested that bond re-arrangement, i.e. transformation from homopolar bonds to heteropolar bonds, takes place with increase in thickness. The thermal diffusivity values of GeS₂ thin films also show the presence of a chemically ordered network in the GeS₂ thin films. Further, it is found that these films exhibit memory-type electrical switching. The observed variation in the switching voltages has been understood on the basis of increase in chemical order.     

A dipole approximation for a dielectric mixture based on the equal field energy method

In this paper, a dipole-energy approximation for calculating the electric field distribution and saturation charge of spheres in an infinitely large dielectric mixture has been carried out. The approximation rests on the assumption that the field energy of mixture calculated using two different methods have the same value. One way is considering that the mixture in a uniform field E₀ as a uniform object of effective permittivity ?_eff from a macroscopic point of view, where ?_eff is seen as the average characteristic parameter of the object. The other way is assuming that the spheres in mixture are in the equivalent external field E₀′, and E₀′ related to the dielectric mismatch and the ratio of the sphere radius to the average distance between neighboring spheres has been obtained. Based on dipole-energy model, the approximate formulas for calculating the maximum field strength and saturation charge of spheres are derived separately.     

Electrical breakdown of dysprosium oxide films

The principal laws governing the electrical breakdown of dysprosium oxide films in silicon metal — insulator — semiconductor structures are investigated. The dependence of the breakdown field E_br on the rise rate of the voltage on the structure K_v, the temperature, the material and area of the electrode, and the humidity of the environment is studied. The dependence of the time delay of breakdown on the amplitude of a rectangular voltage pulse is investigated. It is established that the breakdown field increases linearly with log K_v for all insulator thicknesses, and the saturation of E_br is observed at K_v>10⁵ V/sec. It is found that E_br does not depend on the electrode material and decreases as the area of the electrode or the temperature is increased. The maximum breakdown field is determined: E _br ^max =14 MV/cm. The mechanism of the precursory stage of breakdown, i.e., the period of transient buildup of critical charge in the insulator, is discussed.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 95–101, August, 1995.     

Electrical breakdown of thin polymer films

Data are presented on the dielectric strength of thin polymer films. The conclusion is drawn that the electron avalanche concept is inapplicable to the breakdown of thin films. It is proposed to consider electrical breakdown as a consequence of an abrupt local field enhancement induced by evolution of the space charge injected into the polymer from electrodes. It is shown that the lifetime of polymer films depends exponentially on electric field strength.     

The Kinetics of Destruction of Piezoceramics under the Electric-Field Action

The electrical durability (time since the application of a constant voltage up to the breakdown) as a function of the electric field strength E and the breakdown field intensity E _br as a function of the rate of rise of the electric field strength E are measured on ferroelectric-piezoceramic disks. It is concluded that the destruction of ferroelectric-piezoceramics has a kinetic character.     

Effect of Ar bombardment on the electrical and optical properties of low-density polyethylene films

The influence of low-energy Ar ion beam irradiation on both electrical and optical properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films is presented. The polymer films were bombarded with 320 keV Ar ions with fuences up to 1×10¹⁵ cm^?2. Electrical properties of LDPE films were measured and the effect of ion bombardment on the DC conductivity, dielectric constant and loss was studied. Optically, the energy gap, the Urbach’s energy and the number of carbon atoms in a cluster were estimated for all polymer samples using the UV–Vis spectrophotometry technique. The obtained results showed slight enhancement in the conductivity and dielectric parameters due to the increase in ion fluence. Meanwhile, the energy gap and the Urbach’s energy values showed significant decrease by increasing the Ar ion fluence. It was found that the ion bombardment induced chain scission in the polymer chain causing some carbonization. An increase in the number of carbon atoms per cluster was also observed.