Ageing performance of EPR-compound under the influence of thermal stress and salt-water

Ethylene-propylene-rubber-compound materials (EPR) are widely used in cable insulation especially in North America. After some years in service, some cables may fail. To get an idea about the risk of failure, the ageing processes were the focus of the research work. This paper deals with the ageing performance of an EPR-compound under combined thermal stress and saline water of different conductivities. Investigated parameters were the contact angle, the diffusion of water, and the electrical behaviour of the AC and DC flashover voltages