F E A T U R E A R T I C L E

Development of RTV Silicone Coatings in

China: Overview and Bibliography
Key Words: RTV silicone coatings, flashover, composite insulators, insulator cleaning, equivalent
salt deposit density (ESDD), field aging, FTIR analysis

Introduction Zhidong Jia, Su Fang, Haifeng Gao, Zhicheng

T he development of room temperature vulcanized (RTV)
silicone coatings in China began in early 1985. Over the
course of time, they have come to be widely used in China. At
Guan, Liming Wang and Zhihai Xu
Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University
present, nearly 800,000 kg of RTV coatings are used every year.
They have successfully prevented serious pollution flashover of
traditional glass and porcelain insulators and radically reduced the
costs of maintaining transmission lines in polluted areas. RTV
silicone coatings have been extensively studied in China. The
Since RTV silicone coating was
main aspects of the research include improvements in the proper- first used in China in 1986, 22
ties of the formula for better adhesion to porcelain and control of years of successful experience has
leakage current, the hydrophobicity transference mechanism, and
aging. These decades of research have successfully promoted the demonstrated that RTV SIR coating
development of RTV silicone coatings in China. The history of is an effective method to prevent
the development and research of RTV silicone coatings in China
are discussed in this article.
pollution flashover.

Antiflashover Means in China

Contamination can accumulate gradually on glass and
porcelain insulators, including porcelain bushings, which are used
in transmission lines and substations. Wet atmospheric conditions
— such as fog, mist, drizzle, and sleet — give rise to water filming
and dissolve the salt in the accumulated contaminants. This leads
to the development of uncontrolled leakage current and results
in flashover. This type of flashover is a major impediment to the
uninterrupted supply of electrical power, and it can be very costly.
There are specific considerations in looking for appropriate meth-
ods to address antiflashover in China. Because of China’s limited
resources and high industrial output, coal is the main energy
source. About 75 percent of China’s total energy consumption
is based on coal combustion. This substantially increases the
difficulty of atmospheric quality control. Along with the constant
growth of the Chinese economy, waste gases from industry
degrade the atmospheric environmental quality. In addition,
the development of large numbers of rural enterprises and the
long distance diffusion of pollutants also have contaminated the
rainfall. These factors have led to serious pollution flashovers in
China. The power systems for all of China’s provinces except
Tibet have been plagued by these kinds of accidents. In fact,
this problem has troubled engineers engaged in the operation
of power systems since the birth of electricity, and researchers
have investigated ways to maintain outdoor insulation. Many
technologies have been used with varying degrees of success.
Of the technologies, RTV silicone rubber coatings have become
very popular [1]. The various methods and their advantages are
outlined briefly below [2].
A. Increasing the Leakage Distance
It is a basic method adopted by many power system enterprises
to choose insulators with long leakage distances, or to use many
insulators because the flashover voltage of an insulator increases

28 0883-7554/07/$25/©2008IEEE IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine

with the increase of leakage distance. The types of insulators
include fog-bowl insulators for distribution lines, aerodynamic
and fog-type suspension insulators for transmission lines, and
postinsulators for stations with numerous sheds [3]. However, the
performance of these insulators has varied greatly, depending on
the application conditions. The number of insulators that can be
added is limited because of a shortage of insulation resources and
high cost. In addition, the insulators still require frequent cleaning
in order to prevent flashover.
B. Composite Insulators
Silicone rubber (SIR) composite insulators were initially
viewed as having superior contamination performance compared
with ceramic and glass insulators. In China, during the middle and
late 1980s, a series of composite insulators rated 35 kV to 500
kV and 70 kN to 210 kN were produced, all of which satisfied
IEC standards. At the same time, hundreds of products were
installed on lines for trial operation [4], [5]. Composite insulators
were adopted in various contaminated areas with the objective
of finding a way to solve the flashover problem after the Chi-
nese technological specifications for composite insulators were
completed in 1991 to standardize their production and operation.
As a consequence, SIR composite insulators have developed very
rapidly in China since the mid 1990s. They have been adopted
to replace large quantities of conventional ceramic insulators in
moderate and heavy pollution conditions [6]. However, there are
two kinds of failures in the application of SIR composite insula-
tors: electrical and mechanical failure. Electrical failure involves
flashover due to lightning, bird droppings, or other reasons.
Mechanical failure occurs because of physical problems such as
damage to rods, end fitting slip-out, and brittle fracture.
C. Cleaning of Insulators
Manually cleaning insulators with a rag is a very efficient
means to remove loose contamination from the insulator surface.
However, it takes great expense and human resources because they
must be cleaned twice a year in moderate pollution conditions, and
even four times a year in heavy pollution conditions. Furthermore,
some hard contamination, such as cement, cannot be removed
from the surface of the insulators. Rinsing with water is another
way to clean insulators. It has proven to be an effective way of
removing loose contamination from insulator surfaces. Ideally,
insulators should be water washed prior to reaching the critical
contamination level. As no means are available for determining
accurately when washing should be done, past experience
about periods between flashovers has been used to estimate the
frequency of washing. As a result, washing is done either much
too frequently or only after flashover.
D. Silicone Oil and Silicone Grease
Silicone oil and grease are mobile protective coatings that are
able to absorb contaminants and act to prevent flashover. They
reduce the tendency for water drops to coalesce into a continuous
film as they encapsulate particles of contamination. Silicone oil
and grease perform as long as they remain mobile. When excessive
contaminants are absorbed in the silicone oil and grease layer,
March/April 2008 — Vol. 24, No. 2
they lose their mobility and fail to prevent flashover. However,
the greatest problem with silicone oil and grease is their short
lifetime, which is generally about 6 months to 2 years. More-
over, removing the failed silicone oil and grease is expensive
and labor-intensive.
E. RTV Coating
Because of the shortcomings of oil and grease coatings, solid
water-repellent coatings, particularly of the silicone type, have
attracted considerable interest. The RTV silicone rubber coatings
have gained considerable popularity since the first field trial in
1986 with an experimental product and the first large-scale ap-
plication in 1991 with a commercial product [7]. Some problems
have been encountered with the first generation coatings, such as
low adhesion to insulator surfaces, poor resistance to arc erosion,
the complexity of the application procedure, and the need for a
faster application process. These problems were corrected in
the subsequent second and third generation coatings. The RTV
coatings have been adopted in various contaminated areas as a
main way to solve the flashover problem.
In China, RTV coatings were first applied on transmission lines
in Tianjin in 1986. These initial RTV-coated insulators have been
working safely without any maintenance or cleaning for more
than 20 years. Although many severe flashover accidents have
occurred on porcelain and glass service lines in North China in
1987, 1992 and 2001, no accidents have occurred with the RTV-
coated insulators.
Development of RTV Silicone Coatings
in China
In China, the first generation RTV coating was developed by
Tsinghua University in 1985. It was tested on some 35 kV trans-
mission lines of the Tianjin Power Supply Bureau (PSB) in 1986.
During this time, a comparison test was made in Hangu by the
Tianjin PSB using sample RTV-coated insulators near a power
substation. Three units of standard cap and pin RTV-coated insula-
tors were used on one segment of a 35 kV transmission line with
specific creepage distance of about 24 mm/kV. For comparison,
four units of antipollution insulators without RTV coating were
used in the other two segments of the line with specific creepage
distance of about 46 mm/kV. The pollution and wetting conditions
of the coated and uncoated insulators were the same. Under a
very heavy fog in 1987, a very active discharge phenomenon was
observed on the uncoated insulators, but there was no discharge
phenomenon on the RTV-coated insulators [8].
After an operating period of about 5 years, the extensive use
of RTV coatings began at the Tianjin PSB and large-scale ap-
plication also was initiated at the Henan PSB. During this time,
RTV coatings also were tested in Xiangfan, Hubei province,
resulting in the successful use of RTV coating in central China.
Based on the successful trials at some substations in Yantai,
Jinan, and Zibo from 1991 to 1992, the Shandong PSB began to
use RTV coatings in substations in 1994. After 1997, the early
RTV coating period was over, which had been restricted to 5
years in DL/T 627-1997, developed by the National Antipollution
Leading Group. In the last two decades, RTV coatings gained
29
 considerable popularity and their application increased, as they
did not require maintenance and cleaning. The application of
RTV coatings was still in great demand because of the need to
apply new coatings to old insulators and the installation of new
equipment. The history of the development of RTV coatings in
China is outlined in Table 1.
During the process of the development and application of RTV
coating in China, the components of RTV coating changed from
two or more components to only one component, as shown in
Figure 1. This was because only two-component RTV coating
was produced in the early research; however, it was complicated
to put into practical use. When one-component RTV coating was
developed, it rapidly replaced the old two-component RTV coat-
ing because it was easy to use in the field. At the same time, the
application technique also was improved; spraying technology
appeared to replace manual painting. Figure 2 shows a typical
application using air spray equipment.
Because RTV coating has been available for a long time,
and because of its effectiveness in reducing pollution flashover Figure 1. History of the components of RTV coatings used in
accidents, RTV coatings have been used in various environ- China.
ments, such as coastal, desert, industrial, high humidity, and
low temperature. Today, RTV coatings are being used on both
AC systems and DC systems, and the voltage class of their ap- Research on RTV Silicone Coatings in China
plication in China is in the broad range of 10 kV to 500 kV. Many problems had to be researched and solved in the
From Guangdong province in the south to Heilongjiang province development and application of RTV silicone coatings in
in the north, and from Shanghai in the east to Xinjiang prov- China. Research activities have provided strong support for the
ince in the west, RTV coatings have been used in nearly all of production, testing, and operation of RTV silicone coatings, and
China’s provinces. In some areas, such as the city of Tianjin and accelerated the development of RTV silicone coatings in China.
Shandong province, RTV coatings have been applied to nearly
all porcelain and glass insulators. Figure 3 shows the application A. Formulation
of RTV silicone coatings in different areas of China. Based on In China, the first generation RTV coating system consisted of
incomplete statistics, nearly 800,000 kg of RTV coatings per polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer, coloring pigment, cross-
year have been applied in each of the last few years. With the linking agent, and no fillers were added. With the advancement
continued development of electric power systems in China, the of RTV silicone coating technology, some second generation
authors believe this application rate will continue. RTV coating systems also contained a reinforcing filler like

Table 1. History of development of RTV silicone coatings in China.

Year Milestone

1985 Development of the first generation RTV silicone coating

• First field trial on some 35 kV transmission lines in 1986
• Comparison of insulators with and without RTV coating
1985
• First large-scale application in 1991 with a commercial product
• Recognition of the importance of coating adhesion
• Consideration of the influence of inorganic fillers

• Consideration of the influence of environmental conditions (kind of

contamination, level of contamination, etc.)
• Consideration of the life of RTV coatings
1997 Establishment of national standard DL/T627-1997
1995 • Thorough study on the hydrophobic transfer of RTV coatings
• Fundamental investigations on relationship between environmental
stresses and RTV coating performance (temperature,
contamination, uv irradiation, atmospheric pressure)
2004 Establishment of new national standard DL/T627-2004
Figure 2. Air spray application of RTV coatings using a low-
2005 • Investigation of field aged RTV SIR coated insulators
pressure gun.

30 IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine


Figure 3. Use of RTV coatings in different areas of China. 100
means 100 percent porcelain and glass insulators and bushings
were coated with RTV silicone coatings, and 0 means none of
them were coated.
fumed silica, alumina trihydrate (ATH) filler, or PDMS fluid
and an adhesion promoter for improved bonding to insulator
surfaces [9]. The coatings are dispersed in a solvent like naphtha
that merely acts as a carrier medium to transfer the RTV rubber
to the insulator surface. The physical and electrical properties
of RTV silicone coatings vary considerably, depending on their
formulation [10].
B. Increase of Pollution Flashover Voltage
Various studies on the ability of RTV silicone coatings to
increase pollution flashover voltage have involved testing in a
salt-fog chamber [11]. The flashover voltage of insulators with
RTV coatings is much higher. In the study carried out by Jia et
al. [12], the flashover voltage of an insulator with RTV coating
was as much as two times higher than the flashover voltage of
the insulator without RTV coating in the equivalent salt deposit
density (ESDD) range of 0.05 mg/cm2 –0.4 mg/cm2, as shown
in Figure 4.
C. Characteristics at Low Air Pressure
Hydropower resources are concentrated mainly in the
southwest and northwest regions of China. The coal reserves are
scattered mostly in the north of China. To meet the increasing
demands for electrical power in the eastern region of the country,
many new transmission lines have been installed quickly in the
past few decades. Most of the lines link plants in western regions
and networks in eastern areas, so they inevitably cross high-
March/April 2008 — Vol. 24, No. 2
altitude areas. Thus it is necessary to conduct unique studies of
outdoor insulation behavior at air pressures below the normal
pressure value. An artificial pollution test has been conducted
by Jia et al. [13] on post porcelain insulators in an artificial air
pressure chamber in order to compare the flashover voltage of
insulators with and without RTV SIR coating. Figure 5 shows
the flashover voltage of insulators with and without RTV SIR
coating as a function of air pressure at an ESDD of 0.2 mg/cm2.
The results of the test indicate that RTV coating can be used in
low air pressure regions. The flashover voltage of the insulator
with RTV coating was as much as 2.26 times greater than the
flashover voltage of the insulator without RTV coating in the air
pressure range of 0.06 to 0.11 Mpa.
D. Hydrophobicity Transference Mechanism
There is no doubt that the most important property of a RTV
coating for insulator application is its retention of water repel-
lency under outdoor weathering and HV conditions, especially
hydrophobicity migration, which allows the restoration of the
hydrophobicity of the surface after a layer of contamination has
built up on it. Thus the coating can continue to suppress the de-
velopment of leakage current, dry band arcing, and flashover [14].
Numerous investigations [14]–[17] to describe the hydrophobicity
mechanism have shown that the diffusion and transfer of low
molecular weight (LMW) silicones in the polymer from the bulk
to the surface plays a decisive role in the hydrophobicity recovery.
LMW components are produced in both the polymerization of
the silicone rubber and its degradation. Some previous research
has indicated that silicone rubber is the single factor explaining
the hydrophobicity and hydrophobicity transfer. The influences of
thickness, substrate type, amount of silicone fluid, and solvent type
on the electrical performance of RTV silicone rubber coatings also
have been investigated [15]. However, most of these investigations
of the hydrophobicity transfer of RTV coatings have neglected
the influences of external factors and the dynamics of the LMW
Figure 4. Flashover voltage of porcelain insulators as a
function of ESDD [12].
31

Figure 5. Flashover voltage of insulators with and without RTV
SIR coating as a function of air pressure.
components, which are the key parameters affecting the outdoor
insulating performance of RTV-coated insulators. Jia et al. [16]
used the modified theory of absorption and cohesion between a
solid and air to explain how the accumulated contamination on
RTV coated surfaces can become hydrophobic, and they sum-
marized factors that affect the transfer of hydrophobicity from
the coated surface to the contamination layer.
E. Factors Influence Hydrophobicity Transference
of the RTV Coatings
Temperature: The temperature affects the movement of LMW
chains, which influence the hydrophobicity transference. The time
needed for the pollutant to acquire hydrophobicity decreases with
increasing environmental temperature. Research has indicated
that higher temperatures cause the LMW chains to move more
rapidly, which accelerates the transfer of the hydrophobicity to
the pollutant layer.
PDMS Molecular Weight: PDMS is the main ingredient in the
RTV coating, so PDMS has a significant effect on the hydro-
phobicity transference. The PDMS molecular weight can be
determined from its viscosity. For the same conditions with four
PDMS molecular weights, larger PDMS molecules transferred
the hydrophobicity more effectively to the pollutant layer.
Degree of Cross-Linking: The catalyst and cross-linking agent
are also important ingredients in RTV coatings. Without them,
a film cannot be formed on the RTV coating. The cross-linking
agent controls the degree of cross-linking in the coating. The
amount of cross-linking agent was expressed as the percentage
of the PDMS in tests. Test results showed that the pollutant layer
acquires hydrophobicity more slowly on specimens with larger
amounts of cross-linking agent, which increases the cross-linking
degree and thus slows the molecular movement and reduces the
hydrophobicity transfer.
Extent of Contamination: Figure 6 clearly shows that kieselguhr
acquires hydrophobicity more quickly than kaolin does, with the
final contact angle on the kieselguhr surface of more than 120°,
which is higher than that on the kaolin surface (only about 100°).
32
Increases in ESDD slowed the acquisition of hydrophobicity while
the Non-soluted Deposit Densities (NSDD) is kept constant. For
kieselguhr, the NaCl content had little effect on the final contact
angle for ESDD values below 0.2 mg/cm2. For kaolin, the final
contact angle was reduced by about 10° when the ESDD was
increased from 0.05 mg/cm2 to 0.2 mg/cm2. The results in Figure
7 show that increasing the kieselguhr content reduces the time
required to acquire hydrophobicity. But the time it takes to acquire
hydrophobicity increases as the kaolin content is increased.
It has been demonstrated that silicone rubber confers water
repellency to clean surfaces due to its low surface energy. There
is disagreement about hydrophobicity on polluted surfaces. Most
scholars think LMW silicone fluid that diffuses from the bulk of
the coating surrounds contaminants with a monolayer of fluid
that imparts a nonwetting property, or hydrophobicity, to the
contamination layer. To date, there is no compelling evidence that
LMW is fully accurate, and the LMW has not been formulated.
The hydrophobicity migration mechanism is still a hot topic in
the field of RTV coating research.
F. Loss and Recovery of Hydrophobicity
RTV coatings can provide good hydrophobicity to insulator
surfaces, preventing the formation of continuous water films. This
property is lost temporarily during outdoor service, but the lost
hydrophobicity can be restored after a certain period of time. A
similar effect also can be obtained on RTV coated surfaces when
subjected to artificial treatment, such as water immersion and co-
rona discharge. To understand the transition from a hydrophobic
to a hydrophilic surface (loss of hydrophobicity) or from a hydro-
philic to a hydrophobic surface (recovery of hydrophobicity), it
is necessary to investigate the changes at the surface of the RTV
coating before and after being subjected to testing. The methods
of electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and In-
frared Spectroscopy have been applied to analyze the changes at
the surface of the RTV coating before and after being subjected
Figure 6. Hydrophobicity transfer of samples with various solid
pollutant levels. NSDD, 1 mg/cm2; ESDD, 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 mg/
cm2.
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
 from the surface of the porcelain by rubbing. Contaminants were
found to be easily deposited in grooves on the lower surfaces,
especially on the standard cap and pin insulator with one shed.
Much more contaminant was deposited on the lower surfaces
than on the upper surfaces.The aged coatings were generally
between 0.1-mm to 0.3-mm thick. In early applications of RTV
coatings in China, no standards had been established to regulate
the RTV coating thickness applied on insulators. Users normally
applied coats with a brush, so the RTV coating thicknesses were
hard to quantify.

B. Hydrophobicity Class
The surface hydrophobicity was found to be decreased and
covered a wide range as the number of energized years increased.
For strings of insulators, the hydrophobicity classes (HCs) of those
Figure 7. Hydrophobicity transfer of various mixture samples. in the middle were better than those at either end of the insulator
NSDD, 1 mg/cm2; ESDD, 0.1 mg/cm2. string. The HCs on the lower and upper surfaces did not vary in
any systematic manner.
It was obvious that the hydrophobicity of the sample surface
to testing [17]. It has been found that hydrophobicity is lost tem- decreased and covered a wide range with the increase of the
porarily when the RTV silicone rubber is immersed in alkaline number of energized years, as shown in Figure 10.
solutions for a certain period of time. The loss of hydrophobicity
depends on the extent of the alkaline solution, so it can be con- C. Deposited Contaminations
sidered that RTV rubber loses hydrophobicity temporarily due to Because the insulators were energized on different lines and
a chemical reaction and due to the formation of a layer of silic- affected by different pollution sources, as listed in Table 1, the
alcoholic-salt on its surface when immersed in alkaline solution for results of these tests varied substantially. The NSDD and ESDD
a certain period of time. Because silicone rubber has the capacity
for hydrophobicity transfer, that is, it can cause the property of
hydrophobicity to migrate to the contaminated surface, which is
usually explained by the migration of LMW silicone components
from the bulk of the silicone rubber to the contaminated surface,
the RTV coating can recover its hydrophobicity.
Experimental results of corona discharge indicate that RTV
silicone loses hydrophobicity after corona discharge on its surface.
Based on chemical analyses, it can be considered that oxidation
may occur on the surface of the RTV coating. The RTV coating
will lose hydrophobicity temporarily due to this oxidation layer.
However, the hydrophobicity of the RTV coating can recover
gradually as described above.

Field Aging of RTV Silicone Coatings

In China, most transmission lines are located in regions with
very heavy contamination. Gao et al. [18], [19] evaluated the char-
acteristics of RTV SIR coated insulators according to field aging.
They studied insulators in heavily contaminated conditions and
environments, and tested their hydrophobicity and anti-pollution
flashover prevention.

A. Appearance
Figure 8 shows a post insulator after 12 years of operation.
Figure 9 shows the RTV coated samples after being energized
for different numbers of years in the polluted environment of a
cement factory.
Careful visual checks showed that although the porcelain was
exposed on the edges of the sheds on most samples, the aged coat- Figure 8. Appearance of a post insulator after 12 years of
ing had not become putty-like, cracked, brittle, or easily separated aging.

March/April 2008 — Vol. 24, No. 2 33

 (a) Upper surface of 12-year sample.
Figure 9. Appearance of upper and lower surfaces of 12-year aged insulator near a cement factory.
on the sheds near the high voltage end were higher than those
near the grounded end. Because of this, the quantity of deposited
contamination was affected by the strength of the electric field,
i.e., the higher the electric stress near the surface was, the more
easily contamination was deposited.
Although the degradation of hydrophobicity was obvious, the
aged RTV silicone coating still could recover its hydrophobicity
and retain its ability to transfer hydrophobicity.
D. Anti-Pollution Flashover Ability
Guan et al. [20] tested the anti-pollution flashover of aged
RTV coated insulators. The results showed that the antipollution
flashover prevention of the samples still was very good. Four
types of RTV SIR coated suspension insulators that had been in
service for 6, 9, and 12 years were evaluated. Table 2 shows the
operation conditions. These particular insulators were removed
from their service sites without any maintenance. The results of
voltage withstand tests clearly suggest that flashover of these aged
Figure 10. Relationship between HC of the whole surface of
samples and the number of years energized.
34
(b) Lower surface of 12-year sample.
RTV SIR coated insulators could not occur at the operating system
voltage, as shown in Table 3. The results of the flashover voltage
test are shown in Table 4. The laboratory tests showed that, under
clean fog conditions, aged RTV sample insulators still possessed
excellent electrical performance. In other words, flashover ac-
cidents were still unlikely in aging RTV coating insulators, even
though their HC was less than with a new RTV coating.
E. Characteristics of Aged Coatings
In both the flashover tests and the voltage withstand tests, the
wetting effects on the hydrophobicity change on sample surfaces
differed from those on new RTV-coated insulators in artificial
pollution tests. In addition, the wetting process on the upper
surfaces was totally different from that on the lower surfaces. A
typical scanning electron microscope (SEM) photograph of an
aged coating (Figure 11) illustrates the degradation of the aged
coating. The aged coating did not have cracks or holes, but was
not as smooth as the original RTV coating. The aged coating also
showed the effects of other factors, such as pollution adhering on
the surfaces and traces of dust left on the surfaces.
F. FTIR Analysis
Figures 12 and 13 show the infrared (IR) spectroscopy results
for aged RTV coatings that were taken from different places such
as near a chemical plant or road [20]. Comparing the spectrum
of unaged RTV made in the laboratory, which is defined as the
reference, to those of specimens cut from the aged insulators,
it can be observed that broad absorption due to O-H appearing
at 3700 cm-1to 3200 cm-1 and broad absorption due to C-H and
Si-CH3 appearing at their specific wavenumbers is weakened
by aging. The data clearly show that the coating cut from the
undersides had become more weakened than that from the tops
of the insulators.
The reason for this result is that there were many nonsoluble
deposits adhering to the undersides of the RTV specimens of the
nonclean samples. Besides the differences in the spectra of the
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
 Table 2. Specifications of sample insulators.

Sample Years Number of Transmission Pollution

type energized samples line source

A XWP-7 6 5 220 kV Da-Meng Line 1、2 Chemical Plant

B X-4.5 12 5 35 kV Bai-Ni Line Cement Factory

C C-4.5 12 5 35 kV Bai-Ni Line Cement Factory

D XW2-4.5 10 3 35 kV Bai-Cang Line 2 Railway

E XW2-4.5 10 3 35 kV Bai-Cang Line 2 Railway

F XW2-4.5 9 4 35 kV Bai-Cang Line 1 Road

G XWP-7 6 5 220 kV Da-Ge Line 1.2 Chemical Plant

H XW2-4.5 9 4 35 kV Bai-Cang Line 1 Road and Rural Factory

I X-4.5 12 5 35 kV Bai-Ni Line Railway and Cement Factory

J C-4.5 12 5 35 kV Bai-Ni Line Railway and Cement Factory

Table 3 Results of voltage withstand test.

Sample Insulator C D F G H I J

Calculated voltage (kV) 20.2 27.5 27.5 35.5 35.5 26.5

Maximum leakage current (mA) 30 40 30 10 20 40 150

Flashover or not No No No No No No No

Experiment flashover voltage (kV) 60.1 64 63.2 56.75 50.5

Electrical stress of leakage distance (kV/cm) 0.711 0.525 0.519 0.485 0.571

Average of ESDD (mg/cm²) 0.181 0.311 0.272 0.052 0.255 0.331

HC of upper surfaces of samples HC2-4 HC2 HC3-4 HC2 HC3-4 HC4-5 HC4-5

HC of undersides of samples HC3-4 HC3 HC3-4 HC2 HC5-6 HC4-6 HC4-6

Table 4. Results of flashover voltage test.

Sample Insulator A B C E F G H I

Flashover voltage (kV) 31.44 23.65 18.9 17.3 22.6 33.25 17.2 14.95

Elect. stress of leakage dist. (kV/cm) 0.806 0.59 0.67 0.426 0.557 0.852 0.424 0.508

Average ESDD (mg/cm²) 0.034 0.31 0.15 0.256 0.286 0.027 0.294 0.443

HC of upper surfaces of samples HC1-2 HC4-6 HC2-4 HC3-4 HC3-4 HC2 HC3-4 HC4-5

HC of undersides of samples HC2 HC5-7 HC3-4 HC4 HC3-4 HC2 HC5-6 HC4-6

March/April 2008 — Vol. 24, No. 2 35

 (a) New RTV coating
Figure 11. SEM figures of new RTV coating and aging RTV coating. The line in the figures represents 10 μm.
undersides and top for the same insulator, different insulators,
the number of years of operation, and the different surroundings
have different influences on the spectra. Naturally, the longer
an insulator is operated, the weaker the absorption is. Pollution
is one of these environmental influences. For example, near the
chemical plant, there was much acidic or alkaline contamination.
Near the cement factory, many non-soluble deposits adhered to
the RTV coatings of the insulators. These conditions weaken the
absorption band and shorten the life of the RTV coating.
User Concerns
In China, the greatest concern in using RTV silicone coating is
how to make the coating last as long as possible. Other concerns
are dealing with failure identification, the removal of the coating,
and reapplication.
A. Life
The end-of-life for a coating has been defined by its inability
to prevent flashover. However, this definition does not refer to the
lifetime of the coating, but to its performance. Coating lifetime is
more accurately defined as the condition in which hydrophobicity
is no longer transferred to deposited layers or in which mainte-
nance becomes no different than that used on uncoated insula-
tors. Various studies have been conducted on silicone materials
in order to learn more about their lifetime [21]. However, to date
no answers have been offered. The first generation coating made
in Tsinghua University has been in service for 15 years or more,
with little or no evidence of showing the end of its life.
B. Failure Identification
In China, the failure of RTV coatings is determined by detect-
ing the hydrophobicity class of the surface. The hydrophobicity
of insulators is determined according to the classification guide
developed by STRI [22]. Here, the wettability is divided into seven
HCs, from 1 to 7, where HC 1 corresponds to a completely hydro-
phobic and HC 7 corresponds to a totally hydrophilic surface.
36
(b) Typical aged coating
C. Reapplication
It is not easy to remove the coating from the surface of the
insulator when the RTV silicone coating has failed, especially
for the one-component coating. However, it is not necessary to
remove the coating when a coating has reached the end of its
life because the disabled RTV coating has no effect on the new
RTV coating. After the coating has failed, the RTV coating can
be recoated after the insulator is cleaned. The procedure is the
same as the first application. In China, RTV silicone coatings
usually are recoated every 5 years, but this may vary according
to the pollution conditions.
Standards
In China, the National Antipollution Leading Group is the stan-
dards committee involved in writing standards for RTV silicone
coatings. The task of the group is to develop guidelines for the
evaluation of RTV silicone coatings in the laboratory. The final
selection of the RTV silicone coatings depends on economics,
the electrical performance, ease of application, environmental
concerns, and service experience,. The group published its first
Figure 12. IR spectra of coatings aged for 6 years near a
chemical plant.
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine

Figure 13. IR spectra of coatings aged for 9 years near a road.
standard, DL627/1997, in 1997 [23]. After several years, the
standard was revised to a new edition, DL627/2004, according
to suggestions from users [24].
Conclusions
The development of RTV silicone coatings in China has been
very rapid since the 1990s. By the end of 2006, the usage of RTV
silicone coatings had reached several million kilograms.
In China, RTV coatings are used in polluted areas, and often
in heavy pollution conditions. Consequently, pollution flashover
accidents have been avoided efficiently, and the cost of maintain-
ing the lines has been dramatically reduced.
Since RTV silicone coating was first used in China in 1986, 22
years of successful experience has demonstrated that RTV SIR
coating is an effective method to prevent pollution flashover.
There is still much research on RTV silicone coatings being
conducted in China. A series of tests for products and materials
have been recommended.
Bibliographic Survey
The application of RTV silicone coatings has gained popularity
in power systems of China, and the importance of RTV silicone
coatings is well-known. In this regard, it was deemed proper to
establish a proper bibliography of the work carried out by Chinese
researchers in this area from 1986 onward.
It is hoped that this article will benefit both new and currently
active researchers in this area by providing them with a database
on the topic. Any omissions are unintentional; no claims can be
made for its completeness.
Acknowledgment
The authors appreciate the support from the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (No.50277022).
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2003
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2002
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and its application in the Tianjin power system,” Elect. Power, vol.
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2000
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transfer properties of silicone rubber contaminated by different kinds
of pollutants,” in Annu. Rep. Conf. Elect. Insul. Dielect. Phenomena,
2000, vol. 1, pp. 373–376.
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tion in China,” High Voltage Eng., vol. 26, pp. 37–39, Dec. 2000.
[3] Z. W. Du, and C. S. Zheng, “Application of RTV silicone coatings
in coastal oil fields,” Insul. Surge Arresters, no. 4, pp. 28–29, Jul.-
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1999
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power grid,” Ningxia Elect. Power, no. 4, pp. 15–20, Oct.-Dec.,
1999.
[2] Z. D. Jia, H. K. Xie, and Z. C. Guan, “A study on the hydrophobic-
ity migration of the room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber
coatings,” High Voltage Eng., vol. 25, pp. 7–12, Mar. 1999.
[3] T. Wang, J. G. Ma, and Z. C. Zhang, “Test and research on service
March/April 2008 — Vol. 24, No. 2
life of RTV resin,” Power Syst. Technol., vol. 23, pp. 19–21, Apr.
1999.
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ties of room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber,” Power Syst.
Technol., vol. 23, pp. 62–65, Feb. 1999.
[5] Z. D. Jia, and Z. C. Guan, “The effect of discharge on the surface
on RTV coating and its countermeasures,” Insul. Surge Arresters,
no. 2, pp. 8–12, Mar.-Apr., 1999.
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Arresters, no. 1, pp. 10–14, Jan.-Feb., 1999.
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16–19, 1999.
1998
[1] Z. D. Jia, H. K. Xie, and Z. C. Guan, “A study on the loss and
recovery of hydrophobicity of RTV coating,” in Proc. Int. Symp.
Elect. Insul. Mater., 1998, pp. 623–626.
[2] Z. D. Jia, H. K. Xie, and Z. C. Guan, “A study on the discharge along
RTV coated insulators,” in Proc. Int. Symp. Elect. Insul. Mater.,
1998, pp. 611–614.
[3] Y. Chen, and K. X. Zhang, “Anti-pollution monitoring combined
with ESDD and hydrophobicity,” North China Elect. Power, no. 3,
pp. 1–4, Mar., 1998.
1997
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stations and substations in electric power networks,” Sichuan Elect.
Power Technol., no. 1, pp. 8–9, Jan.-Feb., 1997.
[2] Z. D. Jia, and Z. C. Guan, “Analysis of aged RTV coating,” High
Voltage Eng., vol. 23, pp. 56–58, Sep. 1997.
1996
[1] C. Z. Ma, and B. Q. Li, “Development and test running of long-term
effective RTV coating in China and abroad,” High Voltage Eng., vol.
22, pp. 78–79, Mar. 1996.
[2] S. K. Ding, and H. F. Wang, “Anti-pollution test of insulators coated
with RTV silicone coating,” Northeastern Elect. Power, no. 1, pp.
44–48, Jan., 1996.
[3] J. G. Zhou, and Z. P. Yu, “Non-uniform wetting flashover on HVDC
wall bushing and site test evaluation of RTV aging,” High Voltage
Eng., vol. 22, pp. 56–58, June 1996.
[4] Y. L. Yang, C. F. Huang, and S. X. Sun, “Study of RTVSIF poly-
mer as a long-term anti-pollution flashover coating,” High Voltage
Apparatus, no. 1, pp. 13–16, Jan.-Feb., 1996.
1995
[1] J. W. Cai, “Analysis of a pollution flashover in a substation and the
anti-measures,” Shanxi Elect. Power, no. 5, pp. 23–26, Sept.-Oct.,
1995.
[2] J. M. Li, “A New Anti-Pollution Coating: The XGC Coating,” High
Voltage Eng., vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 87–89, 1995.
1994
[1] Z. D. Jia, and Z. C. Guan, “A study on discharge along RTV coating
and porcelain surface,” J. Elect. Power, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 20–24,
1994.
39
 [2] Z. C. Guan, S. Z. Yu, and Z. D. Jia, “Study of hydrophobicity
transference of RTV silicone coatings,” Electrotechn. J., no. 1, pp.
17–20, Jan.-Feb., 1994.
[3] Z. C. Guan, S. Z. Yu, and Z. D. Jia, “Anti-pollution flashover
prevention of RTV silicone coating and its hydrophobicity migration
properties,” Insul. Mater., no. 6, pp. 21–26, Nov.-Dec., 1994.
[4] Z. C. Guan, S. Z. Yu, Z. D. Jia, and K. H. Wang, “A study on the
hydrophobicity transfer of silicone rubber coating,” J. Tsinghua
Univ., vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 23–31, 1994.
[5] Z. C. Guan, and S. Z. Yu, “Test methods of properties of RTV
silicone coatings,” Environ. Technol., no. 2, pp. 16–20, Mar.-Apr.,
1994.
1993
[1] Z. C. Guan, “The pollution and hydrophobicity properties of RTV
coating,” High Voltage Eng., vol. 19, pp. 28–32, Dec. 1993.
[2] C. Z. Ma, “Application and research of RTV coating for equipment
of 110kV transmission and substation,” Hebei Elect. Power, no. 1,
pp. 46–48, Jan.-Feb., 1993.
[3] Z. C. Guan, J. Q. Xue, and F. J. Chen, “Field experience of RTV
silicone coatings and the judgment of its life,” Elect. Power, no. 12,
pp. 20–23, Dec., 1993.
[4] Z. L. Liu, “Research on HVDC wall bushings with and without
RTV coatings of America,” Insul. Surge Arresters, no. 6, pp. 25–28,
Nov.-Dec., 1993.
1992
[1] Q. Y. Yuan, “Application of a new RTV coating for high voltage
insulators,” Central China Elect. Power, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 66–68,
1992.
[2] Z. M. Wang, “Summary of RTV silicone coatings for outdoor
insulation both in China and abroad,” Insul. Mater., no. 5, pp. 44–46,
Sept.-Oct., 1992.
1991
[1] Q. S. Wu, “Loss and recovery of hydrophobicity of insulators coated
with RTV silicone coating,” Insul. Surge Arresters, no. 6, pp. 32–38,
Nov.-Dec., 1991.
[2] Z. C. Guan, and Z. D. Jia, “A new protective coating for porcelain
insulators,” Environ. Technol., no. 5, pp. 5–8, Sept.-Oct., 1991.
[3] J. R. Yang, “Experimental study of the anti-pollution properties
of RTV silicone coatings,” Central China Elect. Power, no. 3, pp.
14–15, May.-Jun., 1991.
1990
[1] Z. C. Guan, and J. Q. Xue, “RTV silicone coating: A new anti-
pollution measure for insulators,” Elect. Power, no. 10, pp. 17–20,
Oct., 1990.
[2] W. Q. Zhang, “Anti-pollution measures for insulators in substations
in severely polluted regions,” High Voltage Eng., vol.16, no. 4, pp.
79–81, 1990.
[3] J. R. Yang, “Pollution test of porcelain insulator with solid silicone
coating on the surface,” High Voltage Eng., vol.16, no. 2, pp. 91–92,
1990.
1987
[1] J. Q. Xue and X. D. Liang, “New type of anti-pollution coating for
porcelain insulators,” News of Transmission Lines, no. 1, pp. 66–69,
Jan.-Feb., 1987.
40
Zhidong Jia was born in Shanxi
Province, China, on October 10, 1966.
He received his B.S and Ph.D degrees
in electrical engineering from Xi’an Ji-
aotong University, Xi’an, P. R. China, in
1987 and 2001, respectively. From 2001
to 2003 he worked as a postdoctoral fel-
low in Tsinghua University. Now he is
an associate professor and works at the
Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua
University. His major research fields are
high-voltage insulation, improvement of RTV silicone coatings,
preventing ice on outdoor insulators, and nano electrical spin.
Su Fang was born in Hunan Province,
China, on June 28, 1984. He received his
B.S. degree in electrical engineering from
North China Electrical Power University,
Beijing, P.R. China, in 2005. Now he is
an M.S. degree candidate at Tsinghua
University. His major research fields are
high voltage insulation and improvement
of RTV silicone coatings.
Haifeng Gao was born in Beijing,
China, on October 29, 1979. He received
his B.S. degree in electrical engineering
from the Department of Electrical Engi-
neering, Tsinghua University, Beijing,
P.R. China, in 2002. Now he is a Ph.D
candidate in high-voltage engineering
at Tsinghua University. His research
areas are mainly improvement of RTV
silicone coatings and discharge along
hydrophobic surfaces.
Zhicheng Guan was born in Jilin
Province, China, on November 10, 1944.
He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.
degrees in high voltage engineering
from the Department of Electrical Engi-
neering, Tsinghua University, Beijing,
P.R. China, in 1970, 1981, and 1984,
respectively. Now he is Vice President
of the Tsinghua University Council and
Dean of the Graduate School at Shen-
zhen, Tsinghua University. His major
research fields are high voltage insulation and electrical discharge,
composite insulators, and flashover of contaminated insulators,
electrical environmental technology, and application of plasma
and high-voltage technology in biological and environmental
engineering.
IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine
 Liming Wang was born in Zhejiang
Province, China, on November 30, 1963.
He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.
degrees in high-voltage engineering
from the Department of Electrical En-
gineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing,
P.R. China, in 1987, 1990, and 1993,
respectively. He has worked at Tsin-
ghua University since 1993. His major
research fields are high-voltage insula-
tion and electrical discharge, flashover
mechanism on contaminated insulators, and
application of pulsed electric fields.
March/April 2008 — Vol. 24, No. 2
Zhihai Xu was born in Liaoning Prov-
ince, P. R. China on October 16, 1982.
He received a B.S. degree in electrical
engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong
University, Shanghai, P. R. China, in
2005. He is now a Ph.D. candidate at the
Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua
University. His major research fields are
semiconducting RTV coating and its ap-
plication in preventing ice accumulation
on outdoor insulators.
41