Statistical indicators of silicone rubber erosion in the DC inclined plane test

In this paper the leakage current signature in the DC inclined plane test is examined for statistical indicators of the incipient erosion of silicone rubber. The mean, skewness and kurtosis are examined as useful indicators of the dry-band arcing current causing erosion. The moving window method is employed during the test to obtain an enhanced resolution in time. Simultaneous thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry analysis is used to predetermine the temperature at which erosion begins, and temperature measurements taken during the inclined plane test are correlated to the leakage current leading to erosion. During erosion, more stable discharges as well as a recognizable change in the statistical distribution of the dry-band arcing current is recognizable through the analysis employed.