Influence of temperature on the hydrophobicity of polymers

This paper describes the results of an initial study on polymeric insulating materials such as silicone and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubbers which are commonly used as outdoor insulating materials for high voltage applications. The study was initiated to better understand the hydrophobic recovery of various polymeric materials at different temperatures. The materials were subjected to corona discharge for a specific period of time to destroy their surface hydrophobicity and later allowed to recover at various temperatures. The hydrophobic recovery was monitored using the contact angle technique.