Diffusion studies of antioxidants in polyethylene

The successful use of polymeric insulating materials in electrotechnical applications requires a long-term stabilization of their initially excellent mechanical and electrical properties against degradation. One of the usual means of stabilization is to add special additives at low concentration levels. Apart from the necessary chemical effectiveness, the additives have to comply with certain physical requirements: The additive should be homogeneously distributed within the polymer, it should be sufficiently soluble and it should also be retained over extended periods of time. The questions pertaining to these problems can be answered by studying the local additive concentration and its time-dependence in respective systems.