Measurements of conduction current and electric field distribution up to electrical breakdown in LDPE film

In this report, we estimated a conduction current and an electric field within a sample from the time dependence of space charge distribution and an external circuit in a 100 μm thick polyethylene (LDPE) film. The space charge distribution and the external circuit current were simultaneously measured up to electrical breakdown under DC voltage by using pulse electroacoustic (PEA) method. Electric field distortions due to positive charges were observed under high applied electric field. However the electric field distortions due to positive charge were decreased near the breakdown field. From the estimated conduction current, it shows the external circuit current was almost the conduction current near the breakdown field