Hydrophobicity of polyurethane resins

The growth of polymeric insulator applications has shown a sharp upward trend thanks to the advantages of these insulators over the traditional porcelain and glass models. One of their most important features is their hydrophobicity, which allows water to be retained on their surface, preventing them from undergoing high current leakage. The present paper therefore aims to classify the degrees of hydrophobicity of castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis) derived polyurethane resins, which display special dielectric properties for the manufacture of polymeric insulators. The goniometric measurement technique was used through image processing. The main reason for using this technique was its guaranteed repeatability and the solution it offers for the problem of human subjectivity to which the visual inspection technique is prone.