Growth characteristics of electric-water mixed dendrites of cross-linked polyethylene cables under different ionic solutions

To explore the effect of solution ions on the growth characteristics of electrical-water mixed branches of XLPE cables, different ionic solutions are selected to carry out electric-water mixed branch aging of XLPE cables, and the electric-water mixed branch platform of ionic solution cables is built and aged. The growth characteristics of XLPE cables are observed and analyzed by macroscopic dielectric performance test and micro-morphology detection. Macroscopic testing on aging cables using various solutions reveals that NaCl and KCl solutions facilitate the diffusion of water at the end of the electric tree channel, thereby accelerating the aging of the mixed branches. However, this process is inhibited by Al³⁺, Cu²⁺, and Mg²⁺. Subsequently, the samples of different ionic solutions are subjected to microscopic examination to analyze the morphology and distribution of branch defects. It is found that the growth of branches is affected by the mobility of cation ions in the solution and shows a positive correlation within a certain range. The area of branches is affected by the mass of the ions in the solution, the larger the mass, the larger the area. Finally, the transformation mechanism of the electric tree in different ionic solutions is analyzed.