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Comparison of partial discharge characteristics and degradation in several polymeric insulators

The research initiated from discussion at an invited, international gathering at Autrans, France, organised by Siemens. The agenda of the meeting addressed weaknesses in theory and practice in current understanding of insulation degradation. Transition from void degradation to “treeing” in enclosed voids was identified as significant. Similar work at University of Southampton, sparked by attendance at the same meetings, modelled and measured partial discharge in epoxy resin but did not consider physical and chemical changes induced. This paper identifies physico-chemical deterioration in a multiplicity of polymers and shows production of precursor formations which could lead to “treeing”.