Electric field inducement of montmorillonite in ldpe and properties of electrical tree growing in this composite

The electric field-induced method is proposed to orient montmorillonite (MMT) in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and improve the electrical tree resistance of LDPE. A new orientation setup for electrical inducement was designed to achieve MMT orientation in the LDPE/MMT composite. The effect of electrically induced orientation was characterized by X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The initiation and propagation properties of electrical trees in the LDPE/MMT composite before and after the electrically induced treatment were investigated and compared. Results indicate that the electric field contributes to the uniform dispersion of MMT in LDPE and causes MMT layers to shift in a direction parallel to the electric field. The LDPE/MMT composite after the electrically induced treatment showed higher capability for suppressing electrical trees under the power-frequency field.