Insulating Materials:

Basically, an insulating material or insulator contains a very small amount of free electrons
(charge carriers) and, hence, could not carry electrical current. But, a perfect insulator does not
exist, because even insulators contain a small number of charge carriers which may carry leakage
current (negligibly small). In addition, all insulators become conductive when sufficiently large
voltage is applied. This phenomenon is called as insulation breakdown and the corresponding
voltage is called as breakdown voltage.
An insulating material must have high resistivity and high dielectric strength.
Additional desirable properties of insulating material depend on the type of applications.
Insulating material used for manufacturing insulated cables/wires must be flexible such as rubber
or PVC. On the other hand, insulator used to support overhead power lines must be mechanically
strong, such as porcelain or glass insulators.
Important Properties Of Insulating Materials:
 Resistivity (specific resistance) is the property of a material that quantifies how strongly the
material opposes to flow of electric current. Resistivity of a good insulator is very high.
 Dielectric strength of a material is the ability to withstand electric stresses without breaking
down. Dielectric strength is usually quoted in kilovolts per millimeter (kV/mm).
 Relative permittivity (or dielectric constant) is the ratio of the electric flux density produced
in the material to that produced in vacuum.
 Electrical dissipation factor (dielectric loss) is the ratio of the power lost in the material to
the total power transmitted through it. It is given by the tangent of the loss angle and, hence,
also known as tan delta.