Influence of cyanoethylated chemical modification on transformer insulation paper: Molecular modeling study

Kraft paper is widely used in oil-paper transformer insulation. This type of cellulose insulation paper has many advantages, but deteriorates under the combined influence of a number of interrelated factors during the power transformer's long-term running. So modifications on insulation paper for power transformer are in great demand, and chemical modification of insulation materials is one of the main research topics in the field of material modification. This review covers cyanoethylated chemical modification on insulation paper, and relevant models were constructed by molecular simulation, which is often used to analyze microcosmic mechanism and cover the shortage of conventional experimental. The Discover module based on molecular dynamics was performed to study the mechanical properties and hygroscopic behavior of modified cellulose and the thermal stability was analyzed by the analysis of hydrogen bonds. Simulation results showed that chemical structure changes have great influence on mechanical properties and hygroscopicity of kraft paper. The decreasing number of hydrogen bonds and mechanical modulus displayed the degradation of mechanical properties. Chemical modifications whittled away the binding abilities of cellulose and water, weakening the hygroscopicity of kraft paper.