A silicone based hydrophobic coating for high voltage insulators

The use of hydrophobic coatings as a treatment of insulators for the prevention of pollution-related flashovers is increasingly widespread. A great deal of research into the performance of these coatings has been performed worldwide and has resulted in a good understanding of the important parameters determining the field performance of these coatings. This authors discuss these parameters and present the results of the tests performed on a coating that meets these parameters. The test techniques are also presented and discussed in some detail. The important parameters influencing the field performance of a permanent silicon-based hydrophobic coating are tracking and erosion resistance, hydrophobicity recovery after dry band arcing and hydrophobicity transfer to pollution layers. Test techniques such as a salt spray system greatly accelerate any tracking and decomposition of a poorly chosen polymer. Test results indicate that this coating meets the requirements for successful field performance