On the mechanism of electrical aging of polymer insulation materials

The results of studies of the intercoupling between the structure and properties of polyvinylidenfluoride (PVDF) samples exposed to glow and torch discharges in an atmosphere of residual atmospheric air gases, argon, and SF6 are detailed. It is demonstrated that the amount of electric charge accumulated in samples exposed to an electric discharge depends on the defects and the degree of imperfection of these samples. The processes of thermally stimulated relaxation of charges from the PVDF samples are studied. This allows one to qualitatively estimate changes in the defect size and the degree of imperfection of the samples in terms of changes in material properties. © 2014, Allerton Press, Inc