Surface Structural Changes in Silicone Rubber Due to Electrical Tracking

There is a growing interest in the use of silicone composite insulators for electrical power transmission and distribution applications. However, such materials are susceptible to degradation as they are exposed to electrical and environmental stresses during operating conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to gain a thorough understanding of the degradation mechanism through changes in the material structure that may provide insight into potential failures in the electrical grid. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) were used along with contact angle measurements to characterize changes in silicone rubber samples from actual insulators subjected to tracking wheel testing. The results showed a decrease in absorbance of different infrared bands representing different functional groups, such as Si-O-Si, methyl functional groups, and both Al-O and hydroxyl groups of alumina trihydrate as a function of the number of tracking cycles. The sequence of changes in the functional groups was determined by 2D-COS as Al-O and OH followed by Si-O-Si polymer backbone modes, followed by polymer methyl side chains. An enhancement in the average contact angle with the number of tracking cycles revealed a concomitant increase in surface roughness with electrical tracking.