Detection of DC threshold of polyethylene materials through space-charge and electroluminescence measurements

Combined electroluminescence, charging current and space charge measurements were performed on polyethylene-based materials for the purpose of electrical threshold inference. It is shown that the threshold corresponding to the onset of electroluminescence upon grounding the sample is close to the threshold deduced from space charge and conduction current measurements. This provides evidence of the coupling between the space-charge accumulation and electroluminescence phenomena, allowing new insights into charge drift/recombination processes at low field to be achieved.