The mechanism of degradation of polymers under corona streamers: relative humidity influence

In this article we study of the degradation induced by streamers on the surface of a polypropylene film, from the chemical point of view as well as the morphological, by changing the relative humidity in the air in which the discharge develops. We show certain degradation kinetics of polypropylene undergoing partial discharges in air depend closely on the relative humidity. There exists a critical energy for nodule formation, starting from the creation of oligomers by the discharge, and a critical time beyond which the nodules are transformed into the form of crystals