Chalking Mechanism and Its Simulation in Silicone Rubber Under Hydrothermal Conditions

IF 3.3 3区工程技术 Q2 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Pub Date : 2026-10-01 Epub Date: 2026-04-16 DOI:10.1109/TDEI.2026.3684780

Xuyang Liu;Xiyu Wang;Zikui Shen;Zhidong Jia

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Composite insulators operating in hydrothermal environments for 5–10 years are prone to develop chalking, a severe aging phenomenon. However, replicating this process under laboratory conditions has proven challenging. In this study, a controllable artificial chalking method—termed the thermal–steam aging method—is proposed to simulate the combined effects of heat and moisture without the use of chemical catalysts. By adjusting thermal and steam aging durations, the chalking process was successfully reproduced. The equivalence between artificial and natural chalking was validated through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The underlying chalking mechanism of silicone rubber (SR) was elucidated based on the hydrolysis of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS): progressive oxidation of side chains reduces main-chain protection, leading to PDMS degradation via hydrolysis and filler precipitation to the surface. Furthermore, the effect of aluminum trihydrate (ATH) filler content on chalking behavior was investigated, and recommendations were provided to enhance anti-chalking performance in hydrothermal applications.

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水热条件下硅橡胶的垩白机理及其模拟

复合绝缘子在热液环境中工作5 ~ 10年，容易产生白垩，是一种严重的老化现象。然而，在实验室条件下复制这一过程具有挑战性。在本研究中，提出了一种可控的人工粉笔法，称为热蒸汽老化法，以模拟热量和水分的联合作用，而不使用化学催化剂。通过调整热和蒸汽老化时间，成功地再现了垩白过程。通过热重分析（TGA）、扫描电镜（SEM）和傅里叶变换红外光谱（ir）验证了人工和天然粉笔粉的等效性。以聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）的水解为基础，阐明了硅橡胶（SR）的粉化机理：侧链的持续氧化降低了主链的保护，导致PDMS通过水解和填料沉淀到表面而降解。此外，还研究了三水合铝（ATH）填料含量对水热应用中抗粉化性能的影响，并提出了提高水热应用中抗粉化性能的建议。

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来源期刊

IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation 工程技术-工程：电子与电气

CiteScore

6.00

自引率

22.60%

发文量

309

审稿时长

5.2 months

期刊介绍： Topics that are concerned with dielectric phenomena and measurements, with development and characterization of gaseous, vacuum, liquid and solid electrical insulating materials and systems; and with utilization of these materials in circuits and systems under condition of use.