Electrical Properties Of

Polymers
 Intro
 Polymers are inherently Electrical Insulators.
 They can be made to conduct electricity by simply modifying
the base material with proper additives (eg: Carbon Black).
 The key electrical properties are
- dielectric strength
- dielectric constant
- dissipation factor
- volume and surface resistivity
- arc resistance
 Dielectric strength
 ASTM D 149
 The dielectric strength of an insulating material is defined as the
maximum voltage required to produce a dielectric breakdown.
 Dielectric strength = Breakdown voltage
Thickness
 Test procedure - Short time method
- Slow rate of rise method
- Step by Step method
 Factors affecting – Thickness, Temp, Humidity, Electrodes,
Mechanical Stress.
 The higher the dielectric strength, the better the quality of an
insulator.
Dielectric Strengths Of Some Polymers

Dielectric Strength
Polymers
(V/m)

Rigid PVC 800-1400

Polyester 600-750
Polypropylene 650
Polystyrene 650
Polyethylene 480
Polycarbonate 450
 DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AND
DISSIPATION FACTOR
 (ASTM D 150, IEC 250)
 The dielectric constant indicates the ability of an insulator to store
electrical energy.
 The dielectric constant of an insulating material is defined as the
ratio of the charge stored in an insulating material placed between
two metallic plates to the charge that can be stored when the
insulating material is replaced by air (or vacuum).

 Dielectric constant = Capacitance, Material as dielectric

Capacitance, Air (or Vacuum) as dielectric
 Dielectric constants of some polymers
Plastics Dielectric Constants
Melamines 5.2-7.9
Phenolics 4.0-7.0
Nylon 3.5-5.4
Epoxies 4.3-5.1
Polyesters 4.7
Polystyrene 2.0-4.0
Polycarbonate 3.48

Dissipation factor
The dissipation factor indicates the amount of energy dissipated by the
insulating material when the voltage is applied to the circuit.

Loss Factor = Dielectric constant x Dissipation factor

 Electrical resistance
Volume Resistance Surface Resistance

Volume resistance is defined as the ratio of the direct voltage

applied to two electrodes that are in contact with a specimen to that
portion of the current between them that is distributed through the
volume of the specimen.
Volume Resistivity = Potential Gradient
Current Density
Polymers Volume Resistivity
Polyethylene, Polystyrene,
1016
Polypropylene
Urea Formaldehyde 1012-1013
Epoxy 1014
 The surface resistance of a material is defined as the ratio
of the direct voltage applied to the electrodes to that portion
of the current between them that is primarily in a thin layer of
moisture or other semiconducting material that may be
deposited on the surface.
Test procedure follows ASTM D 257.
Temperature and humidity inversely affects the resistivity
of the material.
 ARC Resistance
 Arc resistance is the ability of a plastic material to resist the
action of a high-voltage electrical arc
 Tracking is defined as a phenomenon where a high-voltage
source current creates a leakage or fault path across the surface
of an insulating material by slowly but steadily forming a
carbonized path between the electrodes.
 Tracking is accelerated by the presence of surface contaminants
such as dirt and oil and by the presence of moisture.
 Poor arc resistivity – Phenolics
 Excellent arc resistivity – melamines and fluorocarbons.
 Polymers Arc resistance (sec)
Polycarbonate 10-120
Polystyrene 20-100
Polyethylene 135-160
Polypropylene 135-180
Rigid PVC 60-80

The determination of the arc resistance is done by standard test

method ASTM D 495, which is high-voltage, low-current, dry arc
resistance.
ASTM method D 2132 outlines the procedure for determining dust
and fog tracking and erosion resistance of electrical insulating
materials.
ASTM D 2302 also describes the test for differential wet tracking
resistance of electrical insulating materials.
__________
Thank you !!