Space charge properties of LDPE influenced by heat treatments

Heat treatment is one of the most important processes in production of insulating material. This paper presents space charge behaviors in low density polyethylene (LDPE). The LDPE specimens used for space charge experiments were obtained by three different heat treatment processes. These LDPE specimens have different degree of crystallinity and grain sizes. The accumulation and dissipation of space charge in LDPE specimens were measured through the pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) method. The degree of crystallinity and grain sizes of these specimens were obtained by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. Experiment and analysis results show that the space charge behaviors in LDPE are affected by different heat treatment processes.