Water treeing in insulating liquids

On the assumption that a grey area exists between a heavily plasticised viscoelastic polymer and a high viscosity insulating liquid, a novel experimental programme has been set up to investigate the generation of water trees in viscous liquids. If this were to prove possible, it could dramatically facilitate relatively rapid water tree studies. Processes which take weeks in solid dielectrics could be established in dielectric liquids in hours. Furthermore, by the selection of suitable transparent liquids, the visual determination of water tree initiation and growth could be achieved; to the envy of those making a similar study in virtually opaque solid systems, such as XLPE cable insulation.<>