Invariant dielectric strength upon addition of low amounts of HDPE to LDPE

Blending of polyethylenes permits to combine the superior mechanical properties of high-density material with the higher purity that is associated with low-density resins. Mixing different polyethylene architectures offers a lot of advantages, but for electrical applications it is important that there is no detrimental effect on the resulting dielectric strength. Here, the nanostructure of crosslinked blends that comprise low- and high-density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE) is explored. Despite the presence of higher-melting lamellae the formation of electrical trees under alternating current (AC) conditions is found to be invariant for the investigated HDPE content of 1 to 10 wt%. This observation suggests that the use of polyethylene blends is feasible for AC electrical applications.