Electrical Insulation Materials Overview
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ScribdTranslationsElectrical Insulation Materials Overview
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ScribdTranslations1.5.
Generalities of electrical insulations
Electrical insulator. It is a material with low [Link],
used to separateelectric conductorsavoiding ashort circuitand to keep away
of the user certain parts of the electrical systems that if touched accidentally
When under tension, they can produce a discharge.
1.5.1. Insulating materials and functions
Theinsulating materialsthey are those that are characterized by being resistant to the passage of
the electric current. As many types of elements act as good
drivers, there will be others that do not do so, being functional for other actions
daily and industrial.
The chemical foundation of insulating materials is their valence band.
it is large, meaning that in the last electronic orbit they possess an amount between five and
seven electrons, which prevents them from being given away. This concession is what underlies the capacity of
conduct electricity, so its absence makes it an insulating element.
The following list will include several insulating substances, accompanied, in some cases, by the
functionality that they have according to the two purposes seen:
Wood: Conductor due to its salts and moisture. Frequently used in
different structures and poles.
Silicate: Insulating material, fundamentally present in insulators. It can come
as aluminosilicate (in hard porcelain) or as magnesium silicate (in soapstone or
forsterite). In the first case, it is a good support for heating conductors.
Expanded clay: It is obtained from natural clay and is used as
added in mortars and concretes, improving the insulating capacity in different
construction sectors.
Oxide ceramics: Functional for spark plug insulation, or to be
used at hightemperatures.
Glass: short and medium tension insulator, which does not absorb moisture but is
prone to blows and breaks.
Cork: A lightweight material with little weight anddensity, lo that allows placing multiple
Cork layers improve efficiency. It is also a very waterproof insulator.
Rubber: The flexibility of rubber gives it a great functionality, as it usually
withstand a large amount of deformations without breaking, returning again to the
primitive form. Foam rubber is also an insulating material that simultaneously functions
as a sound insulator.
Ceramic: Good insulator with low moisture absorption and great resistance
to the impact. It is frequently used in the electrotechnical industry.
Aluminum oxide: Used for fireproof insulating parts, and for
spark plug isolation.
Plastic: One of the best insulators, as the narrowness of the joint of its
Particles make it almost impossible for electrons to be released.
1.5.2. Dielectric Characteristics and Properties
Dielectric.
A dielectric is referred to as a poor conductor [Link] electricity,so it can be used
comor electrical insulator,and also if it is subjected to uin electric fieldexternal, it can be established in it
an electric fieldinternal, unlike whatinsulating materialswith which they are usually confused.
All dielectric materials are insulators, but not all insulating materials are dielectric.
Some examples of this type of materials are
the glass,ceramicsthe rubberthe mica,the waxthe paperthe woodsecathe porcelain,somefatsfor
industrial and electronic usethe [Link] for gases, they are used as dielectrics mainly
the air,the nitrogenandsulfur hexafluoride.
CARACTERÍSTICAS:
The energy gap between the valence band and the conduction band is very large.
High electrical resistivity.
High dielectric resistance. ε = V / d
Small dielectric constant.
It can be discharged by electric arc or through interconnected pores.
Internal conduction with donor or acceptor impurities.
PROPERTIES
Polarization in Dielectrics.
The molecules of some dielectrics have the property that the internal distribution of their charges does not
is symmetrical. In these cases, the positive and negative parts of each molecule are separated from each other. If to the
dielectric is applied an electric field, these molecules called dipoles, do not move as
the electrons in metals do not do, but they orient themselves according to the applied field. With this situation
It says that the dielectric has been polarized. When the electric field disappears, the molecules return.
to its original state. There are several types of polarization:
Electronic Polarization:
It is one in which the cloud of bound negative electrons, subjected to an applied electric field E, moves from
the equilibrium position with respect to the positive nucleus.
Ionic Polarization:
The one in which the positive and negative ions of a molecule move in the presence of an electric field E.
applied.
Orientation Polarization:
It occurs in materials with permanent electric dipoles, randomly oriented in the absence
from an external field, but that suffer an orientation towards the vector of the applied electric field in
quantities that depend on the intensity of E. On the tendency they have to align the so-called
polar molecules of those materials, parallel to the applied field, oppose the effects of the
thermal agitation and the forces of mutual interaction between particles. (jhonk)
Permittivity.
Permittivity (or improperly dielectric constant) isa physical constantthat describes how a
Electric field affects and is affected by a medium. The permittivity of free space is 8.8541878176x10-
12 F/m. The permittivity is determined by the tendency of a [Link] polarizebefore the
application ofan electric fieldand in this way partially negate the internal field of the material. It is
directly related tothe electric [Link] example, ina capacitora high one
permittivity makes the same amountof electric chargeit is stored with a lower electric field
and therefore, to youin potentialsmaller, leading to a greater capacitance of it.
Relative Permittivity
It is the ratio of the permittivity of the dielectric to that of free space. The name comes from the materials.
dielectrics, which are insulating materials or very low conductors below a certainthe tension
electriccalled breaking tension. The effect of the dielectric constant is manifested in the capacity
total of uin electric [Link] the charged conductors or walls that form it enter
insert a dielectric material different from air (whose permittivity is practically that of free space), the
the storage capacity of the capacitor load increases. In fact, the relationship between the
initial capacity Ci and the final Cf are given by the electric constant:
Dielectric Resistance
It is the maximum electric field that a dielectric can withstand or endure without breakdown. It is measured in
volts per meter V/m.
1.5.3 IEEE Isolation Classification
1.5.4 Temperature and humidity in the insulations
There are a number of factors that affect the value of insulation resistance, thus the
value of the current that flows when a constant voltage is applied to the circuit during the test
it can vary. These factors, for example temperature or humidity, can modify
considerably the measurement.
The temperature varies the value of the insulation resistance according to an almost exponential law.
Within a preventive maintenance program, it is advisable to take measurements under conditions.
of similar temperatures or, in the event that it is not possible, correct them to bring them closer to some
reference temperature conditions. As an example and quick approximation, an increase of 10
°C translates to a halving of the insulation resistance and vice versa, a
A decrease of 10 °C in temperature doubles the value of insulation resistance.
The humidity level affects insulation depending on the level of contamination of the surfaces.
insulators. One should always try not to take an insulation resistance measurement if the
the temperature is lower than the dew point.