Mansoura University

Faculty of Engineering
Electrical Power & Machine Dept.

Insulating Materials in High

Voltage

By
Khaled Ibrahim Abdul Aziz
Section 3

Supervised By
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebrahim A. Badran
 Abstract
This report deals with gases, liquids, and solids types of insulating material
used in high voltage engineering. Discussing the required properties for each
type, the breakdown process, the most widely used insulants of each type
along with its insulating properties, basic structure, manufacturing,
performance in operation advantages, disadvantages, and improvements if
possible. The applications of these insulating material are also provided.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2
2. Gases.......................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Air ........................................................................................................................................ 2
2.2 Sulfur Hexafluoride 𝑺𝑭𝟔 .................................................................................................... 3
3. Liquids....................................................................................................................................... 4
3.1 Mineral Oil .......................................................................................................................... 5
4. Solids ......................................................................................................................................... 5
5. References ................................................................................................................................. 7
1. Introduction
Hundreds of insulating materials are used in electrical power industries. These can be
broadly classified into different categories: gases, liquids, and solids. As insulation
methods is important for safety of humans and power systems, the suitable insulating
materials for each application is discussed in this paper. A systematic classification of
insulating materials cannot be done readily. As a principle of classification, for example,
physical states of matter (gaseous, liquid, solid), the chemical structure, the processing
technology, or the areas of application can be considered.

2. Gases
In normal states, most gases are good insulators. Atmospheric air, which mainly consists
of nitrogen 𝑁2 and oxygen 𝑂2 , is the main insulating material used in outdoor power
systems such as overhead power lines and open-air substations. While gases such as sulfur
hexafluoride 𝑆𝐹6 and nitrogen 𝑁2 are used in indoor equipment like switchgears, cables,
and transformers. When the applied voltage is low, small currents flow between the
electrodes and the insulation retains its electrical properties. On the other hand, if the
applied voltages are large, the current flowing through the insulation increases very
sharply, and an electrical breakdown occurs. A strongly conducting spark formed during
breakdown practically produces a short-circuit between the electrodes. The maximum
voltage applied to the insulation at the moment of breakdown is called the breakdown
voltage. Generally, the preferred properties of a gaseous dielectric for high-voltage
applications are (a) high dielectric strength, (b) thermal stability and chemical inactivity
towards materials of construction, (c) non-flammability and physiological inertness, and
environmentally non-hazardous, (d) low temperature of condensation, (e) good heat
transfer, and (f) ready availability at moderate cost.

2.1 Air
As a natural ambient medium, it does not require any special processing or treatment.
Atmospheric air is the most abundant dielectric material which has played a vital role in
providing a basic insulating function in almost all electrical components and equipment.
The electrical properties of air are well documented. As with all materials, the electric
strength of air is relatively stronger for smaller spacings and is also a function of pressure.
This relationship is referred as the Paschen’s law usually written as 𝑉𝑏𝑑 = 𝑓(𝑝𝑑), where
𝑝 is the pressure and 𝑑 is the gap distance. In actuality, the pressure
should probably be replaced by the gas density. In some cases, the
predictable breakdown strength and self-restoring property of air are
used in protective devices, e.g., rod gaps and gap type surge
arresters.

At very high voltages, and therefore long gaps, it is found that

switching surges will cause flashovers at relatively low values if the
more highly stressed electrode is at positive potential. This factor is
of importance in the design of transmission lines and substations
having system voltages of the order of 500kV and above. Table 1 Paschen minima for
different gasses

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Table 1 gives values of paschen minima for some gases. Below the minimum breakdown
voltage gas breakdown is not possible. The division of breakdown voltage 𝑉𝑏𝑑 by the
electrode distance 𝑑 gives the breakdown field strength 𝐸𝑏𝑑 for a given pressure (e.g. p =
1 bar, Fig 2.1). The breakdown field strength increases with decreasing distance 𝑑.
.

Figure 1 Calculated electrical breakdown field strengths as function of the electrode

distance d for different gases at normal pressure (p = 1 bar) and normal temperature
(T = 293 K)

2.2 Sulfur Hexafluoride 𝑺𝑭𝟔

Sulfur hexafluoride is the most important insulating gas as well as extinguishing gas in
high voltage engineering. It is obtained from molten sulphur and gaseous fluorine at 300°C
and finally refined to 99 .9% purity. It is used as an insulant in a wide range of power
system applications, including switchgear, gas-insulated substation (GIS) components,
transformers and gas-insulated cables. It is also used as extinguishing and insulating gas in
high voltage circuit-breakers and in some cases in medium Voltage circuit-breakers. 𝑆𝐹6 is
chemically stable, non-toxic and non-flammable, and has a high vapor pressure (∼ 21 bars
at room temperature). At pressures typical of GIS applications (∼ 5 bar) it can be used
down to 35◦C without liquefaction occurring. Its wide use in power equipment is promoted
by the fact that, in addition to high dielectric strength, it also has good heat transfer
characteristics and excellent arc-quenching properties. As shown in Fig 2.1, 𝑆𝐹6 has about
three times higher electric strength than air. High voltage switchgears have a drastically
reduced area and volume requirement and can even be set up for reasonable costs within
cities or buildings. 𝑆𝐹6 has good thermal stability and decomposes at temperatures above
800 K only. At temperatures above 2000 K it dissociates completely. The use of SF6
eliminates the problem of fire hazards (associated with oil insulation) and also resulted in
considerable reduction in weight and size of the equipment.

There are some drawbacks associated with the use of 𝑆𝐹6 . It is one of the most potent man-
made greenhouse gases, about 25 thousand times worse than CO2 gas in terms of global
warming potential. It has a very long lifetime in the atmosphere, estimated to be a thousand
years or longer. Nearly all the 𝑆𝐹6 which has been released to date is still in the atmosphere.
Another concern is the decomposition of 𝑆𝐹6 under electrical discharges as the

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decomposition process will result in the formation of lower fluorides of sulphur which are
toxic and corrosive. Since SF6 is invisible, odorless and heavier than air, i.e. it presents a
risk of suffocation within rooms, test vessels, tubs and sinks that can be filled with SF6
with the displacement of air without this being noticed. Therefore, Effective ventilation
must always be provided.

There has been a large concern for these environmental effects and therefore the electrical
industry has been looking for an alternate gas or gas mixture to be used in electrical
equipment which presently use SF6 gas, as an insulating and arc interruption medium. The
large amount of experimental data that is presently available suggest that 40% 𝑆𝐹6 /60% 𝑁2
mixtures have all the dielectric characteristics that make it suitable for use as insulation in
high-voltage equipment. Ideally the gas mixture should be suitable for use in the existing
equipment as well as in the equipment that will be designed and manufactured in future.

3. Liquids
Compared to gases, liquids have the advantage of significantly higher electric strength even
under normal pressure. Liquids, like gases, have the ability to penetrate into inaccessible
positions and have a higher dielectric strength, compared to air at atmospheric pressure.
However, the recovery of oil is less effective than that of air. Liquids are used in high-
voltage equipment to serve the dual purpose of insulation and heat dissipation. They have
the advantage that a puncture path is self-healing. Temporary failures due to overvoltage
are reinsulated quickly by liquid flow to the affected area. Highly purified liquids have
dielectric strengths as high as 1 MV/cm. The breakdown mechanism in the case of very
pure liquids is the same as the gas breakdown, but in commercial liquids, the breakdown
mechanisms are significantly altered by the presence of the solid impurities and dissolved
gases.

Wide range of application of liquid dielectrics in power apparatus also characterizes this
intermediate position of liquid dielectrics. Insulating oils are used in power and instrument
transformers, power cables, circuit breakers, power capacitors, and so on. Liquid dielectrics
perform a number of functions simultaneously, namely: (a) insulation between the parts
carrying voltage and the grounded container, as in transformers, (b) impregnation of
insulation provided in thin layers of paper or other materials, as in transformers, cables and
capacitors, where oils or impregnating compounds are used, (c) cooling action by
convection in transformers and oil filled cables through circulation, (d) filling up of the
voids to form an electrically stronger integral part of a composite dielectric, (e) arc
extinction in circuit breakers, (f) achieve higher capacitance with liquid dielectrics having
high permittivity in power capacitors.

Examples of liquid insulants include petroleum (mineral) oils, esters, chlorinated liquids,
silicones, synthetic hydrocarbons, fluorinated hydrocarbons, liquefied gases,
electronegative fluids. The most common insulating liquid is mineral oil (transformer oil),
derived from petroleum. It is used as an insulating material due to its chemical stability and
economic considerations. In addition, the heat absorbing properties are also used for the
cooling of transformers. A number of considerations enter into the selection of any
dielectric liquid. The important electrical properties of the liquid include the dielectric

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strength, conductivity, flash point, gas content, viscosity, dielectric constant, dissipation
factor, stability, etc.

3.1 Mineral Oil

Amongst the liquid dielectrics used in power equipment, mineral oils are most important.
Mineral oils are the suitably refined mixtures of different hydrocarbons obtained by
fractional distillation of crude oil after degassing, dehydrating and desalination of the raw
product. The properties of individual oils strongly depend upon their chemical
compositions. These oils mainly consist of saturated hydrocarbons of paraffinic and
naphthenic (𝐶𝑛 𝐻2𝑛 ) structures, besides having unsaturated aromatic hydrocarbons
(𝐶𝑛 𝐻2𝑛−6 ) in different proportions.

Mineral oils are used in transformers, CTs, PTs, oil filled cables, condensers and circuit
breakers. In the case of cables and condensers, high quality and low viscosity oils are
preferred to achieve smoother circulation, hence a better convection of heat. While mineral
oil is available, economical, and offers great properties as an insulating liquid, it is subject
to ageing risk due to absorption of moisture, the solution of gas, impurities and, in
particular, oxidation. Table 2 provides properties of mineral oil along with other insulating
liquids.

Table 2 properties of liquid insulating materials

4. Solids
The use of a solid material is essential in any system or equipment as parts at different
potentials must be held apart physically. A good solid dielectric should have some of the
properties mentioned earlier for gases and liquids and it should also possess good
mechanical and bonding strengths. The correct choice of materials is essential, especially
where no electric stress control is possible or economic and environmental conditions are
poor. In some cases, the insulation system is designed to flashover before puncture of the
solid, as for the components in an overhead transmission line where air is the ambient
medium.

The majority of the insulating systems used in practice are solids. They can be broadly

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classified into three groups as shown in Table 3: organic materials, inorganic materials and
synthetic polymers. Organic materials are those which are produced from vegetable or
animal matter and all of them have similar characteristics. They are good insulators and
can be easily adopted for practical applications. However, their mechanical and electrical
properties always deteriorate rapidly when the temperature exceeds 100°C. Examples are
paper and pressboard used in cables, capacitors and transformers.

Inorganic materials do not show any appreciable reduction (< 10%) in their electrical and
mechanical properties almost up to 250°C. Important inorganic materials used for electric
applications are glasses and ceramics. They are widely used for the manufacturer of
insulators, bushings, etc., because of their resistance to atmospheric pollutants and their
excellent performance under varying conditions of temperature and pressure.

Synthetic polymers are divided into 2 groups: thermoplastic and thermosetting.

Thermoplastic polymers have low melting temperatures (100–120°C). Thermosetting
polymers are moldable when first heated, but after they cool, they will no longer soften
when heated. The most prominent materials are thermosetting epoxy resins or
thermoplastic materials such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) or cross-
linked polyethylene (XLPE). Thermoplastic materials are mainly o used for manufacture
of extruded dielectric power cables.

Table 3 properties and applications of solid insulating materials

If the solid insulating material is truly homogeneous and is free from imperfections, its
breakdown stress will be as high as 10 MV/cm. This is the ‘intrinsic breakdown strength’,
and can be obtained only under carefully controlled laboratory conditions. However, in
practice, the breakdown fields obtained are very much lower than this value. The

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breakdown occurs due to many mechanisms. In general, the breakdown occurs over the
surface than in the solid itself, and the surface insulation failure is the most frequent cause
of trouble in practice.

5. References
[1] Kuechler A. High voltage engineering. 1st ed. Heidelberg: Springer; 2018.
[2] A. Haddad and D. F. Warne, Advances in High Voltage Engineering., 1st edition,
The Institution of engineering and technology, 2004, United Kingdom.
[3] R. Arora and W. Mosch, High Voltage and Electrical Insulation Engineering, Wiley-IEEE
Press, 2011, Canada.
[4] M. S. Naidu and V. Kamaraju, High Voltage Engineering, 5th Edition, McGraw Hill
Education, 2013, India.
[5] Pung T., ELECTRICAL INSULATION MATERIALS, High Voltage Systems ELEC9712, 2017,
School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications. PDF
[6] J.P. Holtzhausen and W.L. Vosloo, High Voltage Engineering practice and theory.
[7] Pung T., LIQUID AND SOLID INSULATION, ELEC-E8409 High Voltage Engineering, Aalto
University. PDF