Electrodes and charge injection in low-density polyethylene using the pulsed electroacoustic technique

TLDR

The study investigates how electrode materials affect space charge formation in low‑density polyethylene using pulsed electroacoustic measurements. The authors selected common electrode materials—aluminum, gold, and carbon‑loaded XLPE—and monitored space charge accumulation under high electric stress with the PEA technique. Charge injection occurs in all tested materials once the applied stress exceeds a threshold, with the amount and polarity of injected charges varying significantly with electrode type.

Abstract

The effects of electrode materials on space charge formation in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) have been investigated experimentally using the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique. Common electrode materials used in either the laboratory or power cable industry were selected, i.e. aluminum, gold and carbon loaded crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE), and space charge accumulation after the application of high electric stress was monitored. Experimental results demonstrated that charge injection processes take place in all cases once the applied stress has exceeded a threshold. However the amount of charge, and the polarity of the dominant injected charges showed a significant dependence on the electrode materials under the same applied electric stress.