Effects of acidic and salinity level to the water treeing in crosslinked polyethylene insulation material

Most power utilities are keen to replace high voltage paper insulated cables with XLPE insulated cables. However XLPE cables are prone to insulation degradation due to water treeing. In Malaysia, due to industrial pollution and soil salinity, they become sources of treat to XLPE cable performance. This paper describes the study of the effects of water acidity levels and salinity on the growth of bow-tie type of water treeing. It was found that the effect of water acidity is more than the water salinity level on the growth of bow-tie water treeing in XLPE insulation. It is recommended that high voltage XLPE cable installation in areas where acid rain phenomena is rampant, should be more particulars in insulation procedures, to reduce their effects to the insulation material.