Polymer Testing & Characterization

Week 10 6 Mei 2017

Electric Testing
• Introduction • Dielectric Strength • Dielectric Constant & Dissipation Factor
• Electrical Resistance Test (Volume & Surface Resistance) • Arc Resistance
Introduction
• The primary function of plastics in electrical applications has been that of an insulator.
• Plastics can be made to conduct electricity by simply modifying the base material with
proper additives such as carbon black.

Introduction
• The insulator or dielectric separates two fieldcarrying conductors.
• Such a function can be served equally well by air or vacuum.
• However, neither air nor vacuum can provide any mechanical support to the conductors.
• Plastics not only act as effective insulators but
also provide mechanical support for field-carrying conductors.
Introduction
• Requirements of an insulator:
1. Have a high enough dielectric strength to withstand an electrical field between the
conductors.
2. Possess good arc resistance to prevent damage in case of arcing.
3. Have high insulation resistance to prevent leakage of current across the conductors
4. Mechanically strong enough to resist vibration shocks and other mechanical forces.
5. Maintain integrity under a wide variety of environmental hazards such as humidity,
temperature, and radiation.
Introduction
• Properties used to define dielectric behavior are :
1. Dielectric Strength
2. Dielectric Constant
3. Dielectric Losses
4. Insulation Resistance (Volume & Surface)
5. Arc Resistance
Dielectric Strength
Introduction
• Dielectric strength : the maximum voltage required to produce a dielectric breakdown or the
maximum voltage gradient before puncture / failure occurs.
• It is expressed as volts (V) per unit of hickness, usually per mil (1 mil = 1/1,000 in.).
Introduction
• How Failure happen :
1. The presence of defect in the material result small electric leakage current pass through the
insulator.
2. The leakage currents warm the material locally, causing the passage of a greater current
and greater localized warming of the material
3. Leading to failure of the material.
4. The failuremay be a simple puncture in the area where material has volatilized and
escaped, or it may be a conducting carbonized path (tracking) that short circuits the
electrodes.
Testing Procedure (ASTM D149)
• There are 3 basic procedure: Short time method, slow rate of rise method, step by step
method
• Specimen : thickness of 1/16 in is common
• Apparatus : a Variable Transformer & a Pair of Electrode
• Short time method : the voltage is increased from zero to breakdown at uniform rate. The
rate of rise is generally 100, 500, 1000, or 3000 V/sec until the failure occurs. The failure is
made evident by actual rupture or decomposition of the specimen.
Slow Rate of Rise Method : Applying the initial voltage approximately equal to 50 % of the
breakdown voltage, as determined by the short-time test or as specified. Next, the voltage is
increased at a uniform rate until the breakdown occurs.
• Step by Step test method : Applying initial voltage equal to 50 % of the breakdown voltage,
as determined by the short-time test, and then increasing the voltage in equal increments and
holding for specified time periods until the specimen breaks down. The dielectric strength of
an insulating material is calculated as follows:
• Which method correspond better with actual use condition ?
Influential Factor
• Time of Exposure
• Defect (void, bubble, etc) from poor processing
• Thickness
A rule of thumb : dielectric strength varies inversely with the 0.4 power of the thickness.
Example : Dielectric strength of PVC = 375 V/mil in 0.075 in., Then in 15 mils thick :
375(75/15)0.4 ~ 700 V/mil
Introduction
• Dielectric constant : the ratio of the charge stored in an insulating material placed between
two metallic plates to the charge that can be stored when the insulating material is replaced
by air (or vacuum).
• Dielectric constant indicates the ability of an insulator to store electrical energy.

Insulating material as capacitor :

1. Have a high dielectric constant / capitance.
2. Thickness <<, capacitance>>.
• Insulating material as insulation :
1. Insulate the current-carrying conductors from each other and from the ground.
2. Have the capacitance/dielectric constant as small as possible. Ideal dielectric : The current
that flows to and from it is 90° out of phase with the voltage no energy is lost & the loss
angle = zero.
• Real dielectric : The lag of polarization causes a phase shift of the current energy
dissipation.
• The phase shift angle is called the loss angle, and its tangent (tan δ) is referred to as the loss
tangent or dissipation factor.
• Dissipation factor : The amount of energy dissipated by the insulating material when the
voltage is applied to the circuit or The ratio of the energy dissipated in the test material to the
energy applied.
• Leakage currents also contribute to dielectric losses
Electrical Resistance Introduction
• The desirable function of an insulator is to insulate current-carrying conductors from each
other as well as from ground and its ability to resist the leakage of the electrical current.
• The higher the insulation resistance is, the better the insulator.
• The resistance offered by an insulating material to the electric current is the composite
effect of volume and surface resistances Volume resistance is the resistance to leakage of
the electric current through the body of the material.
• Volume resistance is defined as the ratio of the direct voltage applied to two electrodes that
are in contact with a specimen to that portion of the current between them that is distributed
through the volume of the specimen.
• It depends largely on the nature of the material. Surface resistance, which is the resistance
to leakage along the surface of a material, is largely a function of surface finish and
cleanliness.
• Surface resistance is reduced by oil or moisture on the surface and by surface roughness.
• Greater surface resistance result from a very smooth or polished surface .
Testing Procedure
• A three-electrode system is used for
measurement of insulation resistance.
• In this way the surface and volume leakage currents are separated.
• The applied voltage must be well below the dielectric strength of the material. Thus, in
practice, a voltage gradient less than 30 V/mil is applied.
• From the applied voltage and the leakage current, the leakage resistance is computed.
Testing Procedure
• The insulation resistance of a dielectric is represented by its volume resistivity and surface
resistivity.
• The volume resistivity (also known as specific volume resistance) is defined as the
resistance between two electrodes covering opposite faces of a centimeter cube.
• The surface resistivity (also known as specific surface resistance) is defined as the
resistance measured between the opposite edges of the surface of a material having an area of
1 cm2
• In applications requiring superior insulating characteristics, volume resistivity high or
low ?
Arc Resistance Introduction
• Arc resistance is the ability of a plastic material to resist the action of a high-voltage
electrical arc, and is usually stated in terms of time required to form material electrically
conductive.
• Arc resistance of a plastic is its ability to withstand the action of an electric are tending to
form a conducting path across the surface.
• The arc resistance of an insulator may be defined as the time in sec nds that an arc may play
across the surface without burning a conducting path.
• Arcing tends to produce a conducting carbonized path on the surface
Testing Procedure (ASTM D495)
Arc Resistance is expressed by : The number of seconds that a material resists the formation
of a surface conducting path when subjected to an intermittently occurring arc of high
voltage, low current characteristics To Explore
• Therefore, for satisfactory performance of electrical insulating materials should have :
1. Dielectric constant Low or High ?
2. Dissipation factor low or High ?
3. Dielectric strength low or high ?
4. Insulation resistance low or high ?
5. Arc resistance low or high ?