The insulation of state-of-the-art extruded highvoltage direct-current (HVDC) power cables is composed of cross-linked low-density polyethylene. Driven by the search for sustainable energy solutions, concepts that improve the ability to withstand high electrical fields and, ultimately, the power transmission efficiency are in high demand. The performance of a HVDC insulation material is limited by its residual electrical conductivity. Here, we demonstrate that the addition of small amounts of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) resin results in a drastic reduction in DC conductivity. An HDPE content as low as 1 wt % is found to introduce a small population of thicker crystalline lamellae, which are finely distributed throughout the material. The change in nanostructure correlates with a decrease in DC conductivity by approximately 1 order of magnitude to about 10 −15 S m −1 at high electric fields of 30 and 40 kV mm −1 and elevated temperature of 70 °C. This work opens up an alternative design concept for the insulation of HVDC power cables.

Fullerenes are shown to be efficient voltage-stabilizers for polyethylene, i.e., additives that increase the dielectric strength of the insulation material. Such compounds are highly sought-after because their use in power-cable insulation may considerably enhance the transmission efficiency of tomorrow's power grids. On a molal basis, fullerenes are the most efficient voltage stabilizers reported to date.

The synthesis and physico‐chemical properties of seven benzil‐type voltage stabilizers are reported. The benzil core is substituted with alkyl chains of different length that are linked to the benzil core via an ester, ether, or tertiary amine group. All additives can be melt‐processed with low‐density polyethylene (LDPE). Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that benzil compounds are not affected by the LDPE cross‐linking reaction induced by dicumyl peroxide. Moreover, a combination of gel content measurements, thermal analysis, and small‐angle X‐ray scattering indicates that the presence of benzil voltage stabilizers does not significantly alter the microstructure of cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE). Electrical tree inhibition experiments under high‐voltage alternating current conditions show that all investigated additives substantially enhance the dielectric strength of the insulating material at a concentration of only 10 mmol kg−1. The highest improvement in dielectric strength, of more than 70% with respect to reference XLPE, is obtained with voltage stabilizers, which carry short (methyl) side chains that are linked to the benzil core via an ester or tertiary amine group. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 1047–1054

Voltage stabilizers are an emerging class of additives that enhance the dielectric strength of an insulating polymer such as polyethylene. Several partially conflicting reports ascribe the stabilizing effect to either a high electron affinity or low ionization potential of the additive. Here, we report a clear correlation of the electron affinity and to a lesser extent the E HOMO -E LUMO difference of various voltage stabilizers with electrical tree initiation in cross-linked polyethylene. To facilitate a fair evaluation, the voltage-stabilizing efficiency of a set of 13 previously reported voltage stabilizers, which strongly differ in their chemical composition, is compared at equal stabilizer concentration and equivalent test methodology. These results are correlated with the electron affinity and E HOMO -E LUMO difference, as obtained from density functional theory (DFT) modeling, which agreed well with available literature values. Moreover, based on the here established strong correlation between dielectric strength and electron affinity, a new molecule with exceptionally high electron affinity is selected from the extended literature on organic photovoltaics. This malononitrile-benzothiadiazole-triarylamine based molecule with a high electron affinity of 3.4 eV gives rise to a 148% increase in tree initiation field compared to 40% obtained using anthracene, one of the most efficient previously reported voltage-stabilizers, under equivalent test conditions. Thus, we here propose to use the electron affinity as a guiding criterion for identifying novel high-efficiency voltage stabilizers, which opens up the vast library of organic semiconductors as potential candidates, as well as associated synthesis routines for the design of yet unexplored materials.