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The measurement of very low conductivity and dielectric loss in XLPE cables: a possible method to detect degradation due to thermal aging

The remarkably low conductivity values reported here using two independent techniques, suggest that many previous measurements have been influenced by impurities or poor techniques. It is clearer that the lamellae are insulators rather than wide-band gap conductors. The confirmation that the conductivity is a “marker” for ageing, is leading to the adoption of this technique by Alstom Grid, through a KTP project (KTP008177), for the appropriate selection of cables for use in the high-voltage DC systems, which they are developing. The work was supported by Borealis, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of super-clean polyethylene, based in Sweden.