The influence of aging time and moisture

content on the tensile strength of

transformer bushing insulating paper
Cite as: AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0121821
Submitted: 19 August 2022 • Accepted: 25 October 2022 • Published Online: 16 November 2022

Quanmin Dai, Guowei Mu, Fuwen Tan, et al.

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AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0121821 12, 115020

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 AIP Advances ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/adv

The influence of aging time and moisture

content on the tensile strength of transformer
bushing insulating paper
Cite as: AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821
Submitted: 19 August 2022 • Accepted: 25 October 2022 •
Published Online: 16 November 2022

Quanmin Dai,a) Guowei Mu, Fuwen Tan, Huidong Chen, Xianggang You, Yanxia Liu,a) and Guang Cheng

AFFILIATIONS
College of Urban Rail Transit and Logistics, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100101, China

a)
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: dqm66@163.com and yanxia.liu@163.com

ABSTRACT
The parameter of tensile strength for transformer bushing insulating paper occupies an important position in the structural design and
life evaluation of transformer bushing. In order to precisely achieve the effect of aging time and moisture content on the tensile strength
of transformer bushing paper, transformer insulating paper samples with a thickness of 0.13 mm were prepared for tensile strength and
dielectric strength testing under different moisture contents and aging states. The results show that the tensile strength (MPa) of insulating
paper decreases linearly in the range of 0–648 h under accelerated thermal aging at 130 ○ C. However, there is a more serious exponential
decline in the tensile strength (MPa) of insulation paper with its moisture content is boosted. The moisture content in insulation paper
is the most important factor for insulation paper deterioration in oil-impregnated paper insulation equipment, which could accelerate the
end of insulation service life. The value of capacitance increment ΔC of the insulation paper samples displayed closely linear growth with a
moisture content from 0.5% to 5.9%. Strictly controlling the moisture content by monitoring the ΔC value of transformer insulation paper is
of significance for prolonging its service life.
© 2022 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0121821

I. INTRODUCTION The mechanical property of tensile strength is an important

At present, in the Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) alternating cur-
rent project of the State Grid Corporation of China, the main
insulation of the 1000 kV transformer and its bushing adopt almost
all oil-paper insulation systems.1,2 The condition of insulation
paper is a key point for the safe operation of UHV (converter)
transformers.3,4 The insulation failure of transformer bushing is
primarily caused by the destruction, breakdown, and flashover of
insulation paper systems, which seriously affects power supply secu-
rity and brings great loss to social economy and production.5,6
Insulation paper (transformer insulation paper) is widely used in
the main insulation of transformer bushing. It is subjected to multi-
field coupling stress during operation for a long time.7,8 The effect
of aging time and moisture content on the mechanical tensile
strength (TS) of transformer insulation paper is the key factor for
the structural design and life evaluation of the transformer and its
bushing.
parameter for the insulation strength and life evaluation of bush-
ing insulation paper.9 Professor Liao et al.10–13 studied the effect of
temperature on the dielectric and mechanical properties of insula-
tion paper cellulose. They compared the laboratory-made aramid
papers with Nomex paper in the aspects of tensile property, dielectric
property, and thermal stability, combined with crystallization and
morphology measurement. Liang studied the relationship between
tensile strength (MPa), breakdown field strength, moisture con-
tent, and other parameters of nano-modified new insulating paper
at different aging stages. Professor Gao et al.14 studied the dielec-
tric and partial discharge characteristics of six kinds of insulation
pressboards and evaluated their quality by comparing the para-
meters such as surface resistivity, relative dielectric constant, and
partial discharge initial voltage. Zhou et al.15 studied the relation-
ship between tensile strength (MPa) and the polymerization degree
of insulating paper under periodic thermal aging. At present, there
are few studies on the relationship of mechanical properties with

AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821 12, 115020-1

© Author(s) 2022
 AIP Advances
aging time and moisture for bushing insulation paper. In order to
acquire the mechanical strength of bushing insulation paper with a
longer aging time and moisture content, a measurement platform of
mechanical and electrical properties of insulation paper was built for
key parameters such as tensile strength (MPa), dielectric loss, and
capacitance. The characteristic of tensile strength (MPa) of bush-
ing insulation paper was measured under long-term aging (648 h,
130 ○ C), different damp conditions, and different drying times.
II. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND METHODS
A. Measuring platform for mechanical properties
The measurement platform for mechanical properties of insu-
lation paper is mainly composed of a ZQ-990LA programmable
logic controlled tension machine, as presented in Fig. 1. The dis-
placement resolution of the tension machine is 0.01 mm. The tensile
force measuring accuracy is less than ±1%, while the tensile force
measuring range is 0–500 N. The tensile strength (MPa) of the spec-
imens is tested in accordance with the “Pressboard and press paper
for electrical purposes—Part 2: Methods of test” standard. The test
process is as follows: The fixtures of the testing machine are adjusted
so that the upper and lower fixtures flush and the interval between
the upper and lower fixtures is 180 mm. The speed of the testing
machine is constant at 20 mm/min. The insulation paper samples
are clipped at the same size based on the “Pressboard and press paper
for electrical purposes” standard.
FIG. 1. Tensile machine and insulation paper samples.
AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821
© Author(s) 2022
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B. Measuring platform for electrical properties
As shown in Fig. 2, the electrical performance measurement
platform is mainly composed of a high electrode measurement
system, a high voltage dielectric instrument, and other lines. In the
high electrode system, the spring can compress multi-layer insulat-
ing paper in order to reduce the gap between the paper and the
cylinder HV electrode. The high voltage dielectric loss instrument
can measure the dielectric loss and capacitance of multiple voltages
within 2–10 kV. The high electrode system is composed of a high
voltage electrode, measuring electrode, and protective electrode. The
high voltage and measuring electrodes adopt a plate–plate structure,
which are round copper plates with diameters of 60 and 50 mm,
respectively. During the test, the sample is clamped between the high
voltage electrode and the measuring electrode.
C. Experimental method
(1) Tensile strength (MPa) and moisture content testing during
drying. According to the requirements of the test standard,
FIG. 2. Electrical parameter measurement of insulation paper. (a) High electrode
measurement system. (b) High voltage dielectric loss test device.
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 AIP Advances
FIG. 3. Insulation paper samples of tensile strength (MPa) test.
the size of all test samples in the mechanical tensile strength
(MPa) test is a paper strip with a length of 200 mm and a
width of 15 mm, as shown in Fig. 3. For tensile strength
(MPa) testing during drying, samples were picked out at
0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 24, and 48 h before drying. When taking
samples, the oven door is opened at a minimum angle, and
the samples are immediately put into a sealed package. The
water content in the insulating paper is tested with a mois-
ture tester, and the tensile strength (MPa) (TS) is tested for
other ten samples.
(2) Tensile strength (MPa) and moisture content test during wet-
ting. The accelerating thermal aging test adopts a TAISETE
WGL-65B drying oven,16 as pictured in Fig. 4. The thermal
FIG. 4. Air dry oven for accelerating thermal aging test.
AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821
© Author(s) 2022
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aging temperature is set to 130 ○ C for accelerating thermal
aging, and the thermal aging time is set to 648 h. Samples are
taken every 72 h so that the tensile strength (MPa), dielectric
loss, and capacitance of insulating paper are measured. After
the experiment, the change law of tensile strength (MPa)
of insulating paper is analyzed to obtain the relationship
between the tensile strength (MPa) of insulating paper and
the aging time.
(3) Dielectric loss test during long-term aging. In order to avoid
the influence of the initial water content in the insulating
paper on the test results, the cut paper strip is placed into
an electric blast drying oven at 105 ○ C for 48 h and taken out
after drying, and the dried insulating paper is transferred to
a sealed bag. After putting the sample into the damp box, the
water content of the insulating paper is controlled by control-
ling the time of the insulating paper in the wet environment.
The insulating paper is placed in a wet closed container
for 4.5 h, the high voltage dielectric loss of the insulating
paper is recorded every 0.5 h, and the relationship curve
between water content and dielectric loss parameters (tan δ
and capacitance) is drawn according to the experimental
data.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A. Dielectric parameter with accelerating thermal
aging
As demonstrated in Fig. 5, the blue curve is the feature of capac-
itance with aging time, while the deep yellow dashed-dotted line is
the dielectric loss factor of the insulation paper with aging time. Dur-
ing the long-term accelerated thermal aging process at 130 ○ C, the
dielectric parameter value of tan δ of insulation paper is 6.92% at
the beginning of aging time and 6.95% at an aging time of 648 h.
FIG. 5. Dielectric parameter of insulation paper with aging time.
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 AIP Advances
The dielectric parameter value of the capacitance of insulation paper
steadily keeps approaching 50 pF during the aging time from 0 to
576 h. The variation in the dielectric parameter tan δ and capac-
itance is not significant when the variation is within the normal
range. The influence of accelerating thermal aging on the dielectric
parameter tan δ and capacitance is not significant for the insulation
paper within 648 h of accelerating aging time. It is the main rea-
son for cellulose plasticization by the moisture content and for the
change in the dissipation factor and capacitance during longer high
temperature aging.
This is because the heat energy inside the insulation is concen-
trated and has no time to disperse due to the rise in temperature,
resulting in the destruction of the hexagonal ring structure of the
glucose monomer. The force between the connecting molecules
in the crystalline region and amorphous region of the cellulose
decreases, the arrangement of the two-phase system becomes sparse
and uneven, the strength of the fiber deteriorates, and the bond-
ing strength between the fibers weakens, resulting in the decrease
in tensile strength (MPa).
B. Tensile strength with accelerating thermal aging
Tensile strength (TS) is one of key features for the aging degree
of insulation paper. As presented in Fig. 6, the value of tensile
strength (MPa) for the insulation paper displayed a closely linear
downswing from 98.61 to 52.61 MPa with aging time (0–648 h). The
fitting curve of TS and aging time conforms to the linear function
with a Y-intercept of 99.48 and the slope value of −0.075.
Compared with the degree of polymerization, the tensile
strength (MPa) is more intuitive and easy to measure by the
tensile machine. The physical and chemical properties of insu-
lation paper were attenuated at a temperature of 130 ○ C. Under
the action of thermal stress coordination, the tensile strength
(MPa) can effectively characterize the aging state of insulating
paper.
FIG. 6. Tensile strength of insulating paper with aging time.
AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821
© Author(s) 2022
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IV. DIELECTRIC AND TENSILE PARAMETERS
OF INSULATING PAPER WITH DIFFERENT
MOISTURE LEVELS
A. Tensile strength and moisture relationship
The change process of water content and tensile strength (MPa)
of insulating paper during drying at 105 ○ C in the drying oven is
shown in Fig. 7, which reflects the change in the trend of moisture
content during drying and its influence on the tensile strength (MPa)
of insulating paper. The results show that the moisture content of
insulating paper decreases exponentially during drying at 105 ○ C
and the change in the moisture content tends to be stable after dry-
ing for 12 h. The tensile strength (MPa) of insulating paper reached
the highest after drying for 6 h and also stabilized after drying for
12 h. The tensile strength (MPa) of insulating paper increased first
and then decreased during drying at 105 ○ C. The tensile strength
(MPa) of insulating paper is not the highest when the water con-
tent is the lowest. Tensile strength (MPa) refers to the resistance of
insulating paper with a certain thickness and width to produce the
maximum uniform plastic deformation. The tensile strength (MPa)
depends on the properties of insulating paper fibers (their own
length and strength) and the bonding force between fibers (the num-
ber of fibers and strength of bonding between fibers). Some scholars
found that the tensile strength (MPa) of a single root decreased first
and then increased with the increase in the root moisture content.
In the range of 3.45%–7% moisture content, the mechanical ten-
sile strength (MPa) of insulating paper increases with the decrease
in the moisture content. However, in the range of 1.13%–3.45%
moisture content, with the decrease in the moisture content, the
cellulose of insulating paper becomes brittle, and the mechani-
cal tensile strength (MPa) of insulating paper decreases and tends
to be stable.
As presented in Fig. 5, the value of tensile strength (TS) of insu-
lation paper in the drying process is strongly increases to the peak
value at a drying time of 6 h. The value of tensile strength (TS) for
FIG. 7. Moisture content and tensile strength of insulating paper during drying
process.
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 AIP Advances
FIG. 8. Tensile strength of insulating paper at high moisture content.
insulation paper in the drying process was stable at one value after a
drying time of 24 h. At the same time, the value of moisture con-
tent of insulation paper reduces exponentially at the drying time
from 0 to 24 h, which was stable at one value after a drying time
of 24 h.
As presented in Fig. 8, the value of tensile strength (MPa) of
the insulating paper with different damping levels displayed close
exponential falling from 84.76 to 6.21 MPa with a moisture content
from 6.5% to 45.2%. The experimental results show that moisture
seriously affects the mechanical properties of insulating paper. The
moisture content of insulating paper increases from 6.5% to 15%,
and the mechanical tensile strength (MPa) decreases from 84.76 to
57.14 MPa, which means that the mechanical tensile strength (MPa)
decreases by about 32%. When it reaches 45.69%, the tensile strength
(MPa) of the insulating paper is less than 10%.
When the insulation paper is seriously damp, the water dis-
solves the lignin, lipid, and other substances in the insulating paper.
In addition, the cellulose in the insulating paper is degraded, result-
ing in the rapid decline of the mechanical tensile strength (MPa)
of the insulating paper. Both the cellulose degradation and plasti-
cization of insulation paper would make the parameter of tensile
strength change.
B. Dielectric parameter with different moisture levels
As presented in Fig. 9, the value of capacitance increment ΔC
of the insulation paper samples displayed close linear growth with
the moisture content from 0.5% to 5.9%. Meanwhile, the dissipa-
tion factor Δ tan δ has increased with the moisture content of the
insulation paper samples. By contrast, the value of ΔC is a more
important characteristic value for moisture content of insulation
paper.
Compared with the degree of polymerization, the tensile
strength (MPa) is more intuitive and easy to measure by the tensile
machine. The physical and chemical properties of insulation paper
AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821
© Author(s) 2022
ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/adv
FIG. 9. Value of Δ tan δ and ΔC with the increase in the moisture content.
were attenuated at a temperature of 130 ○ C. Under the action of ther-
mal stress coordination, the tensile strength (MPa) can effectively
characterize the aging state of insulating paper.
The effect of accelerating thermal aging on the dielectric para-
meter tan δ and capacitance is not significant when the accelerating
aging time for insulation paper is within the range of 0–648 h. The
value of tensile strength (MPa) for insulation paper shows a close
linear tendency under the action of accelerating thermal aging at
130 ○ C. However, there is a more serious exponential decline in the
tensile strength (MPa) of insulation paper with its moisture content
boosted.
The moisture content in insulation paper is the most important
factor of insulation deterioration for oil-impregnated paper insula-
tion equipment, which could accelerate the end of insulation life.
The total amount of water absorbed by the insulating paper is a
major factor in the cellulose degradation aging process. The higher
the water content is in the insulation paper, the faster the TS degree
and the decrease in insulation life will be. Strictly controlling the
moisture content of transformer insulation paper is of significance
for prolonging its service life.
V. CONCLUSION
Insulating paper is the main material of oil-paper bushing of
transformers. Its mechanical properties directly affect the insulation
life and the safe operation of power equipment. The mechanical
characteristic of the tensile strength (MPa) (TS) of transformer
insulating paper is a key element for the structural design and life
evaluation of transformers and bushing. In this paper, the mechan-
ical strength of bushing insulation paper with a longer aging time
and moisture content was acquired by the measurement platform of
mechanical and electrical properties of insulation paper:
(1) The moisture content of insulating paper decreased expo-
nentially during the drying process at 105 ○ C and tended to
12, 115020-5
 AIP Advances
be stable after 12 h of drying. The tensile strength (MPa) of
insulating paper reached the highest after drying for 6 h and
stabilized after drying for 12 h. The tensile strength (MPa)
of insulating paper decreases linearly in the range of 0–648 h
under accelerated thermal aging at 130 ○ C.
(2) The moisture content of insulation paper seriously affects
its mechanical properties. The moisture content of insulat-
ing paper increases from 6.5% to 15%, and the mechanical
tensile strength (MPa) decreases from 84.76 to 57.14 MPa,
which means that the mechanical tensile strength (MPa)
decreases by about 32%. When the moisture content reaches
45.69%, the tensile strength (MPa) of insulating paper is less
than 10%.
(3) In the process of thermal aging, the change in the dissipa-
tion factor tan δ is not obvious with the aging time from 0 to
648 h, while the change in capacitance is 51.14–46.07 pF.
However, the value of capacitance increment ΔC of the insu-
lation paper samples displayed close linear growth with the
moisture content from 0.5% to 5.9%. The value of ΔC is a
more important characteristic value for the moisture content
of insulation paper compared with Δ tan δ. Strictly control-
ling the moisture content by monitoring the value ΔC of
transformer insulation paper is of significance for prolonging
its service life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Beijing Natural Science
Foundation, under Grant No. 3214062; the Scientific Research
Project of Beijing Municipal Education Commission, under Grant
No. KM202111417004; and the Education Teaching Research and
Reform Project of Beijing Union University, under Grant No.
JJ2022Y034.
AUTHOR DECLARATIONS
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Author Contributions
Quanmin Dai: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal);
Funding acquisition (equal); Investigation (equal); Writing – orig-
inal draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Guowei Mu:
Supervision (equal); Validation (equal). Fuwen Tan: Data curation
(equal); Visualization (equal). Huidong Chen: Investigation (equal);
Visualization (equal). Xianggang You: Validation (equal); Visual-
ization (equal). Yanxia Liu: Supervision (equal); Validation (equal).
Guang Cheng: Methodology (equal); Resources (equal).
AIP Advances 12, 115020 (2022); doi: 10.1063/5.0121821
© Author(s) 2022
ARTICLE scitation.org/journal/adv
DATA AVAILABILITY
The data that support the findings of this study are available
from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
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