Properties of RBDPO Oleum as a candidate of palm based-transformer insulating liquid

This paper presents properties of RBDPO oleum to be used as an insulating liquid. RBDPO stand for refined, bleached and deodorized palm oil. Electrical properties like breakdown voltage, dielectric dissipation factor and relative permitivity of RBDPO oleum were measured for three different temperature and compared to that of ASTM D-6871 standard. Physical and chemical properties like viscosity, acid number and water content are also investigated. Experimental results show that RBDPO oleum can be considered as an initial material for developing palm oil based-transformer insulating liquid. Breakdown voltage of sample at room temperature, 25degC, is 57 kV. The relative permtivity is 3.1, very closed to that of strandard, 3.2, while the dissipation factor is 0.03. Viscosity and water content of oil are significantly lower then those of ASTM D-6871 standard value. The remaining problems are reducing acid number which are still slightly above standard value.