Preliminary Investigation of Space Charge Performance of Ionomers as Possible Substitutes for XLPE in HVDC Applications

This paper has the goal to investigate a new type of ionomer as a possible substitute for cross-linking polyethylene (XLPE) in HVDC insulating systems. XLPE is a thermosetting polymer non melt-processable and affected by cross-linking byproducts, cause of electric field distortion. Ionomers under test contain a small amounts of ion-pair comonomers comprising amine terminated methacrylates and methacrylic acid. They are able to provide a thermo-mechanical behavior similar to XLPE. PEA and conductivity test were performed on ionomers different for ion content; results revealed that ionic clusters may have a remarkable impact on DC performance. Overall, ionomers showed electrical properties comparable to XLPE, confirming the hypothesis as a possible substitute.