A basic study on the effect of voltage stress on a water droplet on a silicone rubber surface

Observations and analyses have been conducted on the behavior of water droplets deposited on the surface of polymer insulators. As an index to characterize the repellency of water droplets on the polymer surface, the contact angle was measured for different situations. Experiments were conducted to see the behavior of water droplets of different volumes and their size distribution on silicone rubber. Electric field strength calculation was performed to analyze the effect on water droplets. Finally, effects of the Maxwell stress and the Coulomb's force were compared, to conclude that, even if there is some true charge on the water droplet, the Maxwell stress is predominant.