Partial Discharge Characteristics in LLDPE-Natural Rubber Blends: Correlating Electrical Quantities with Surface Degradation

Partial discharges (PD) lead to the degradation of high voltage cables and accessories. PD activities occur due to the existence of impurities, voids, contaminants; defects and protrusions. during the manufacture and installation of power cables. Commonly, insulation failures occur at cable joints and terminations, caused by inhomogeneous electric field distributions. In this work, a blend of natural rubber (NR) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) was investigated, and the optimal formulation of the blend that could resist PD was discussed. The experiments were conducted under a constant high voltage stress test of 6.5 kV AC and the magnitude of partial discharge activities was recorded using the CIGRE method II. Pattern analysis of PD signals was performed along with the interpretation of morphological changes. The results showed that the addition of 10 wt% of NR and 5 wt% of Alumina Trihydrate (ATH) provided promising results in resisting PD activities. However, as the NR content increased, more micropores existed, thus resulting in increased PD activities within the samples.