Composites of insulating polyethylene and carbon black are widely used in switching elements, conductive paint, and other applications due to the large gap of resistance value. This research addresses the critical exponent of dielectric breakdown strength of polymer matrix composites (PMC) made with carbon black and polyethylene below the percolation threshold (Pt) for the first time. Here, Pt means the volume fraction of carbon black of which the resistance of the PMC is transferred from its sharp decrease to gradual decrease in accordance with the increase of carbon-black-filled content. First, the Pt is determined based on the critical exponents of resistivity and relative permittivity. Although huge cohesive bodies of carbon black are formed in case of being less than the Pt, a percolation path connecting the conducting phases is not formed. The dielectric breakdown strength (Dbs) of the PMC below Pt is measured by using an impulse voltage in the range from 10 kV to 40 kV to avoid the effect of joule heating. Although the observed Dbs data seems to be well fitted to a straight line with a slope of 0.9 on a double logarithm of (Pt-VCB) and Dbs, the least squares method gives a slope of 0.97 for the PMC. It has been found that finite carbon-black clusters play an important role in dielectric breakdown.

In order to Investigate water tree degradation behavior on XLPE cable, direct voltage of 200 to 800V has been applied to the material at 50℃~100℃, and the water tree property has been correlated with voltage and temperature. The leakage current was increase as temperature increased and the Ohm's law was generally satisfied in this experiment though some experimental errors were found. The leakage current was decreased and reached to the stable state with time. It was also shown that the time for the stabilization of leakage current was lessened as voltage increased

폴리에틸렌과 에폭시 수지계 고분자 정연재료에서 발생하는 전기트리 열화 및 절연파괴 현상에 대해 연구하였다. 침-평판 전극구조를 갖는 블럭상 시편에 전기적 응력을 가하고 침 선단에서 발생하는 전기트리를 관찰하였다. 저밀도 폴리에틸렌에서 발생하는 전기트리 형상은 밀도가 매우 높은 부시상이었으며, 가교 풀려에틸렌에서는 가지형 전기트리가 관찰되었다. 에폭시 수지 에서는 첨가제 SN의 함량과 온도가 증가함에 따라 절연파괴 강도는 감소하였으며 전기트리는 더욱 복잡해졌다. 가교밀도가 높아 딱딱한 DGEBA/MDA 에폭시 수지계에서는 전도성 트리 경로 주위에 일련의 부채꼴 크랙이 관찰되었다.

에폭시 수지 DGEBA/MDA/GN계의 트링 열화에 미치는 전압과 온도의 영향에 대한 고찰을 통하여 고분자 절연재료의 절연파괴 거동을 연구하였다. 전압 인가시간에 따라 트리의 성장속도은 역S자의 형태로 나타났다. 인가전압과 온도가 증가함에 따라 트리의 성장속도는 증가하였으며 트리형상의 복잡함, 즉 국부적인 트링열화의 정도는 인가전압이 감소하거나 온도가 증가한 경우에 높게 나타났다. 절연파괴 강도는 유리 전이온도 이상에서 급격히 감소하였다.