Insulation System in Energy Sector: The Benefits of Polymer Composites

ABSTRACT Polymers with Composite materials are used in various engineering applications due to their ability to be adapted for a specific application. As a result a composite could be selected or designed for a high performance part such as field grading applications in high voltage technology. In this paper study, characterize a polymeric system composed of a polymer filled with nanomaterial. Composites with different filler weight concentrations are prepared and their dielectric performance is characterized. Measurement results and potential applications of the composite systems are presented. KEYWORDS: HDPE, Polystyrene, dielectrics properties, Nanocomposites INTRODUCTION The most important insulation material is air. A variety of solid, liquid, and gaseous insulators are used in electrical apparatus. In smaller transformers, generators, and electric motors, insulation on the wire coils consists of up to four thin layers of polymer varnish film. Windings of thicker conductors are often wrapped with supplemental fiberglass insulating tape. Windings may also be impregnated with insulating varnishes to prevent electrical corona and reduce magnetically induced wire vibration. Large power transformer windings are still mostly insulated with paper, wood, varnish, and mineral oil, although these materials have been used for more than 100 years, they still provide a good balance of economy and adequate performance. Busbars and circuit breakers in switchgear may be insulated with glass-reinforced plastic insulation, treated to have low flame spread and to prevent tracking of current across the material. Expanded Wood Fiber Polystyrene Composites Processing, Structure, Mechanical Properties explained [1]. Carbon dioxide in wood-fiber polystyrene composites Sorption and dispersal in [2]. Insulation is a resistive material which opposes the flow of charge in it. Nano material is a light volume material which is added with polymerized material to improve its insulation property, which intern improves the chemical, mechanical and electrical properties of the material. In this paper using nano alumina and nano magnesium oxide as filler material with high density polyethylene(HDPE) and polystyrene polymers are studied. The mechanical and electrical tests are

performed on the above samples prepared and are compared with other conventional polymers. Cellulose insulation: Cellulose might be using increased interest in green building. Cellulose has the highest recycled content of any insulation material and also has less embodied energy than fiberglass and other furnace produced mineral insulations [2]. Currently cellulose insulation has increased again in use in the United States. Part of the reason for this growth are studies that have shown results that suggest that cellulose may actually protect a building from damage in a fire better than fiberglass because cellulose is denser than fiberglass and doesn't allow the oxygen necessary to burn structural members. Polymers insulation: Polymer are used in various electrical applications like wire and cable as insulation and jacketing materials due to their exclusive combination of properties such as temperature flexibility excellent insulating characteristics and resistance to moisture absorption. By blending suitably selected polymers, new materials with desirable final properties can be prepared. Electrical properties of various polymer blends have been investigated by different investigator. In paper it has been shown that the dielectric properties of polymers and blends in general depend on structure, crystallinity, morphology and presence of fillers or other additives. The dielectric constant of the blends is found to increase with increase in the effectiveness of the permittivity was found to increase with increase in concentration of dipoles. The incorporation of polar components into polymer has increased the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the blend. The measurement of dielectric properties as a function of temperature was used as a way to study the different polymer blend systems. Polymers are chain like molecules that are made of the same repetition unit. Aside from few exceptions polymers consist of molecules with different chain lengths. Therefore average values are given for the molecular weight like the number average, the weight average or the viscosity average molar mass. A measure for the width of the molecular weight distribution is the polydispersity index. The targeted manipulation of the molecular weight distribution of a polymer by removing short and/or long chain material is called polymer fractionation. Polymer structure and morphology, classification of polymers, polymer characterization, polymers as dielectrics in various electrical equipments, dielectrics in electric field, relaxation, permittivity

and dielectric loss, filled polymers applications were studied in this paper.

for

HV

Nanomaterials: Polymer nanocomposites, processing of nonocomposites, dispersion of nanofillers in polymer matrix, influence of nanofillers on dielectric properties, interface phenomena, electrical degradation treeing, stochastic models of breakdown, multi stress ageing, Nanodielectrics for specific HV applications, Computational dielectrics were also studied. There are three common methods used to enhance polymers with nanofillers to produce nanocomposites. Melt compounding or processing of the nanofillers into a polymer is done simultaneously when the polymer is being processed through an extruder, injection molded, or other processing machine. The polymer pellets and filler are pressed together using shear forces to help with exfoliation and dispersion [4]. SCOPE OF NANO COMPOSITES: Polymer nanocomposites are constructed by dispersing a filler material into nanoparticles that form flat platelets. These platelets are then distributed into a polymer matrix creating multiple parallel layers which force gases to flow through the polymer in a torturous path forming complex barriers to gases and water vapor. As more tortuosity is present in a polymer structure, higher barrier properties will result. EXPERIMENTAL WORK: Latest generation dielectrics In the recent times there have been excellent developments in the field of dielectric materials with the intension of reducing the maintenance costs. The actual comparisons of the dielectric materials of HDPE and Polystyrene were studied. Properties of HDPE: Abrasion Resistant: The extremely high molecular weight of HDPE combined with its very low coefficient of friction provides an excellent abrasion resistant product preventing gouging, scuffing and scraping. Exceptional Impact Strength: HDPE is one of the highest impact resistant thermoplastics available and maintains excellent machinability and self- lubricating characteristics. Properties are maintained even at extremely low temperatures. Chemical Resistant: HDPE has very good chemical resistance of corrosives as well as stress cracking resistance (with the exception of strong oxidizing acids at elevated

temperatures). Certain hydrocarbons cause only a light surface swelling at moderate temperature. Water Resistant: Moisture and water (including saltwater) have no affect on HDPE. It can be used in fresh and salt water immersion applications. HPDE is more rigid and harder than lower density materials. It also has a higher tensile strength four times that of low density polyethylene, and it is three times better in compressive strength. It also is accepted by USDA(United States Department of Agriculture), NSF(National Science Foundation) and the Canadian Department of Agriculture. Properties of HDPE: HDPE has little branching, giving it stronger intermolecular forces and tensile strength than lowerdensity polyethylene. It is also harder and more opaque and can withstand somewhat higher temperatures (120 C/ 248 F for short periods, 110 C /230 F continuously). High-density polyethylene, unlike polypropylene, cannot withstand normallyrequired autoclaving conditions. The lack of branching is ensured by an appropriate choice of catalyst (e.g., Ziegler-Natta catalysts) and reaction conditions. HDPE contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen. CHEMICAL PROPERTIES:

Fig.1, HDPE Molecular chain

The longer the main chain, the greater the number of atoms, and consequently, the greater the molecular weight. The molecular weight, the molecular weight distribution and the amount of branching determine many of the mechanical and chemical properties of the end product. Thermal properties: The melting point of polyethylene is defined as that temperature at which the plastic transitions to a completely amorphous state. In HDPE and other thermoplastic materials, the molecular chains are not cross-linked and such plastics will melt with the application of a sufficient amount of heat. With the application of heat, thermoplastic resins may be shaped, formed, molded or extruded. Thermosetting resins are composed of chemically cross-linked molecular chains, which set at the time the plastic is

first formed, these resins will not melt, but rather disintegrate at a temperature lower than its melting point, when sufficient heat is added. Mechanical Properties: HDPE is a non-linear viscoelastic material with timedependent properties[6]. A thermoplastic pipe, serving as composite structure, benefits by its attribute of stress relaxation. Predictability of performance of a pipe in service requires knowledge of the mechanical properties of the HDPE resin and knowledge of the profile geometry.

Fig.2 HDPE compound

Typical properties of polyethylene :

ASTM test D792 D792 D570 Property PHYSICAL Specific gravity Specific volume (in./lb.) Water absorption, 24 hours, 1/8 inch thick (%) MECHANICAL Tensile strength (psi) Elongation (%) Tensile modulus (10~5 psi) Flexural modulus (10~5 psi) Impact strength, izod (ft-lb/in. of notch) Hardness, Rockwell R THERMAL High density 0.941-0.965 29.4-28.7 <0.01

D638 D638 D638 D790 D256 D785

3,100-5,500 20-1,000 0.6-1.8 1.0-2.0 0.5-20 65

Thermal conductivity (10~4 cal-cm/sec11.0-12.4 cm~2-C) Coefficient of thermal D696 expansion (10~5 in./in.6.1-7.2 F) Deflection temperature (F) D648 110-130 At 264 psi 140-190 At 66 psi ELECTRICAL Dielectric strength D149 (V/mil) short time, 1/8450-500 in. thick Dielectric constant At D150 2.30-2.35 1kHz Dissipation factor At D150 0.0003 1kHz Volume resistivity D257 (ohm-cm) At 73F, 10~15 50% RH D495 Arc resistance(s) D542 Refractive index 1.54 D1003 Transmittance (%) 10-50 Table 1 properties of HDPE C177

Advantages of HDPE Electrical Conduit With its high performance and material characteristics, electrical insulation provides necessary security and protection they need against random construction, harsh and highly pressured environments. Designed to house, protect and cover sensitive electrical wiring and utility cables in power distribution systems, HDPE is referred to as a smooth wall electrical conduit. It provides outstanding performance benefits for any electrical insulation regardless of voltage or amperage requirements. Electrical conduit offers: High tensile strength to endure heavy external loads. Long term strength for increased life and performance Lower installation costs Resistance to corrosive chemicals and aggressive soils Moisture proof and watertight when fusion welded No biological growth Low resistance to pulled-in cable Color coding for easy identification Other Applications: Food cutting boards Corrosion resistant wall coverings Pipe flanges Lavatory partitions Man-hole covers in Chemical Plants Radiation shielding Self supporting containers Prosthetic devices Properties of Polystyrene: It is an aromatic polymer made from the aromatic monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is commercially manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry. Polystyrene is one of the most widely used kinds of plastic [5].

Polystyrene is a thermoplastic substance, which is in solid (glassy) state at room temperature, but flows if heated above its glass transition temperature (for molding or extrusion), and becomes solid again when it cools off. Pure solid polystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with fine detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take on various colors [1, 3]. Polystyrene can be recycled and has the number 6 as its recycling symbol. Polystyrene does not biodegrade and is often abundant as a form of pollution in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways. Chemical Properties: The chemical makeup of polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon with every other carbon connected to a phenyl group. Polystyrene's chemical formula is (C8H8)n, it contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen. Because it is an aromatic hydrocarbon, it burns with an orange-yellow flame, giving off soot, as opposed to non-aromatic hydrocarbon polymers such as polyethylene, which burn with a light yellow flame (often with a blue tinge) and no soot. Complete oxidation of polystyrene produces only carbon dioxide and water vapor. This addition polymer of styrene results when vinyl benzene styrene monomers (which contain double bonds between carbon atoms) attach to form a polystyrene chain.

Fig.3 Polystyrene

Polystyrene is chemically unreactive, is used to create products such as containers for chemicals, solvents and foods. This stability is the result of the transformation of carbon-carbon double bonds into less reactive single bonds. Structurally, the unsaturated alkene monomers have been transformed into less saturated structures with carbon alkane backbones. A molecule is considered saturated when its carbons are bonded to the maximum number of hydrogen atoms possible. The strong bonds within the molecule make styrene very stable. Dielectric Strength: It is the ability of the material to with stand the applied potential difference without causing the arcing across the insulator. It is very obvious that more the dielectric strength and have the value of 500v/mil. Dielectric Constant: It is an indicative ability of an insulator to deliver the electrical charge. The capacitive impedance of the dielectric directly related to the dielectric constant and the voltage gradients induced through the dielectric layer is inversely proportional to the dielectric constant and has the value of 2.5 - 2.6. Heat Dissipation: The material that easily dissipates heat should be selected and specific heat (C) of 1.3 kJ/
(kgK).

Density Density of EPS Dielectric constant

Properties 1.05 g/cm3 16640 kg/m3 2.42.7 1016 S/m 0.08 W/(mK) 34% 25 kJ/m2 95 C 240 C 90 C 8105 /K

Electrical conductivity (s) Thermal conductivity (k) Elongation at break Notch test Glass transition temperature Melting point Vicat B Linear expansion coefficient (a) Specific heat (c) Water absorption (ASTM) Decomposition Table 2 properties of Polystyrene

Porosity: - Porosity causes air entrapment and absorption of moisture which can cause tracking of the electrical discharge to the ground. This material has low porosity. Maximum service temperature: High temperature often causes the burning of dielectric coverings. This can be reduced by optimizing the temperature in the system. Polystyrene has Thermal conductivity (k) of 0.08 W/(mK), Glass transition temperature of 95 C and Melting point of 240 C. Hardness: Surface harness prevents abrasion and of linear expansion coefficient (a) has 8105 /K, Elongation at break of 34%. Costs:Each application should be analyzed to determine the best material for that particular job. The cost is dependent on the selection of the dielectric properties in the material.
Dielectric Dielectric Constant Strength (relative to (V/mil) air) 2.5 - 2.6 500 Loss Tangent Max Temp (F)

Substance

Polystyrene 1.3 kJ/(kgK) 0.030.1 X years, still decaying High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Molded

0.0001 @ 100 MHz 240 C 0.00033 @ 3 GHz

1.0 - 5.0

475 - 3810

0.0000400 - 158 0.00100 248

Table 3. Typical property comparison of HDPE and Polystyrene

Flow chart of Nanocomposites

Figure.4 : Flow chart of Nanocomposites

Synthesis procedure carried: Weighing granules in preferred quantity Blend the granules with nano composites in a blending machine Put the blended granules in a hot press (Thermoset) at the temperature of 1600 C, around 10-15 minutes Samples are ready for testing Injection Molding: In injection molding, polymer granules are -compressed by a ram or a screw -heated until molten -injected into a cold, split mould under pressure The molded polymer is cooled below Temperature -The mould opens and the product is ejected This process gives high precision moldings because the polymer cools under pressure Cycle time is typically between 1 5minutes Compression Molding: This method is well suited to forming of Thermo set casings for appliances Thermoplastic car bumpers Since a thermo set can be removed when hot, cycle times can be as low as: 10 seconds for small components 10 minutes for large thick walled moldings Both thermoplastics and thermo sets can be formed by compression mould The polymer or mixture of resin and hardener is heated and compressed between dies. Finished Samples:

HDPE with nano alumina HDPE with nano magnesium oxide Polystyrene with nano alumina Polystyrene with nano magnesium oxide TESTS CONDUCTED After designing the samples, it has to undergo the following tests for comparison of electrical and mechanical properties. Break down voltage (BDV) test Tan (delta) Tensile test (mechanical strength) Breakdown: The break down strength of pure polymer is much greater than of adding nanocomposites. In our project we tested breakdown strength of polymer material by using Auto Transformer, Which is rated of 0-25KVA. The breakdown voltage of an Insulator is the minimum voltage that causes a portion of an insulator to become electrically conductive. Dielectric constant and loss factor: The information obtained from the measurement of tan and complex permittivity is an indication of the quality of the insulating material. If the tan varies and changes abruptly with the application of high voltage, it shows inception of internal partial discharge. The effect to frequency on the dielectric properties can be studied and the band of frequencies where dispersion occurs i.e., where that permittivity reduces with rise in frequency can be obtained. Tensile strength: Tensile strength is indicated by the maxima of a stress-strain curve and, in general, indicates when necking will occur. As it is an intensive property, its value does not depend on the size of the test specimen. It is, however, dependent on the preparation of the specimen and the temperature of the test environment and material. The standard way to measure tensile strength is to use a small bar with uniform width (apart from at the edges where the thickness increases) and to 'pull' at each end until the bar fails. In the process, other mechanical properties may be obtained. Other testing methods also exist, such as the plane strain compression test.

Fig.5 Samples of HDPE and Polystyrene

with Nanocomposites

Figure : Samples prepared at CPRI, Bengaluru

Concluding that the tensile strength of HDPE+nano Mgo is much lower than that of PS+nano Mgo. Results and discussion: Break down voltage of different Samples: Variation of BDV with respect to HDPE with nano composites Mgo and alumina, and PS with nano composites Mgo and alumina.X-axis is the different samples and Y-axis is the values of BDV. Applications: HDPE: Resistant to corrosion and chemical attack Light weight

Chemical resistant piping systems Fuel tanks for vehicles Laundry detergent bottles

Conclude that the BDV of HDPE+nano Mgo is much lower than that of PS+nano Mgo. Loss angle of various samples: Variation of tan with respect to HDPE with nano composites Mgo and alumina, and PS with nano composites Mgo and alumina. X-axis is the different samples and Y-axis is the values of tan.

Concluding that the tan of HDPE+nano Mgo is much higher than that of PS+nano Mgo Tensile strength of various samples: Variation of tensile strength of HDPE with nano composites Mgo and alumina, and PS with nano composites Mgo and alumina. X-axis for different samples and Y-axis is the values of tensile strength.

Polystyrene: The most important properties of PS are : Excellent thermal performance High compressive strength Out standing impact absorption Low weight Imperviousness to moisture 100% recyclable Conclusion: From the above tabulation it is clear that the properties vary with addition of nano filler materials. In case of loss angle (tan delta) the value of HDPE+2g alumina (0.605) is less than pure samples of HDPE as well as Polystyrene, so adding Nano alumina reduces the loss angle in insulating material. The break down voltage of nano material, the electrical strength is reduced. The break down voltage of pure HDPE (10.021KV) is much more than any other nano components added material. By this test shows adding nano material reduces the break down voltage of insulation system. The Resistivity of the material depends on the area of the material. As there is addition of filler material, the resistivity gradually decreases. For pure insulating material the value of the resistivity is high (HDPE 2.336E14 m and PS 6.365E13 m). In capacitance test, the value of pure HDPE (629.71F) is higher than nano fillers added material. Normally if any impurity is added to an insulation system it conducts faster than pure material. Pure material has good insulating property than nano added material. The major advantage of adding nano material is to provide mechanical strength. This is proved by conducting the tensile tests on the samples. Usually the tensile strength of the pure material is low (For Pure polystyrene 7.305Mpa, Pure HDPE 8.165mpa) when compared with the nano composite materials. Tensile property of the insulating material is increased by adding

the nano fillers. While manufacturing the pure insulating material (HDPE and PS) voids are created, this leads to treeing effect and break down of insulation with less span of time (ageing). So Nano fillers bonds tightly, hence there is a less chances of treeing effect. This will increase the life span as well. Nano filler added material having less break down voltage, capacitance and resistivity value. But there is an improvement in tan delta and mechanical strength. Break down strength can be improved by increasing the thickness of insulating material.

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