The effect of temperature cycling on the DC conductivity of polyethylene

The effect of temperature cycling between 40 degrees C and 80 degrees C during combined temperature and electric field conditioning on the DC conductivity of LDPE (low-density polyethylene) has been studied and compared with DC conductivity results using a constant temperature of 80 degrees C and an identical sample under the same experimental conditions. Results indicate that the drop in the current level at 80 degrees C after ten days of conditioning is lower in the thermally cycled sample than in the sample subjected to constant temperature. The difference is attributed to different morphological changes in each sample due to different thermal treatment.<
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