The Effect of Acetophenone and alpha-Methylstyrene on the Space Charge Properties of Low Density Polyethylene

Abstract

In this report the pulsed elcetroacoustic (PEA) technique was employed to examine the space charge pattern in acetophenone and alpha-methylstyrene soaked low-density polyethylene (LDPE) samples. The samples were stressed at three different voltages; 5 kV, 8 kV and 10 kV, and the charge patterns in the sample bulk were compared with that obtained from the clean LDPE. These chemicals are observed to assist the transportation of the charges in the sample bulk. Each of these chemicals is in favour of different charge polarity. It seems that acetophenone assists the transportation of negative charges meanwhile the transportation of positive charges is assisted by the alpha-methylstyrene. It is proposed that the chemicals provide shallow traps that aid the movement of the charges.