The Role of Ions in the Mechanism of Water Tree Growth

This paper reports the influence of the negative ions present in the experimental system on water trees grown from a water electrode. These results have been correlated with the physical properties of the ions. A theoretical mechanism is described which explains how the ions may penetrate the polymer, which is in agreement with the experimental results. The authors consider that ionic penetration is the first step in the mechanism of tree growth, causing disruption of the structure of the polymer and increasing the supply of water to the mechanisms of void formation.