Effect of antioxidants, on deterioration by partial discharge in LDPE and XLPE [insulation materials]

The effect of antioxidants in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) on deterioration by partial discharge (PD) was investigated. Experiments were conducted using LDPE and XLPE samples containing phenolic antioxidants. Samples subjected to the PD were analyzed using atomic force microscopy and Fourier transform infrared analysis (AFM and FTIR). AFM images demonstrated that the magnitude of pits created in the sample containing antioxidants was smaller than that in samples containing no antioxidant. FTIR showed that oxidative degradation occurred on LDPE and XLPE surfaces when they were subjected to PD. These results confirmed that the amount of oxidized substances was smaller in samples containing phenolic antioxidants than in those containing no antioxidant. This report elucidates the mechanism of antioxidant action on deterioration by PD.