Analysis of performance of polymeric insulators manufactured with polyurethane resins

New polymeric insulators were developed in the laboratory, based on special resins derived from the castor oil plant, which have been submitted to electrical tests with alternating voltage and to aging by accelerated weathering. These tests are reported, as well as a computer simulation implemented in the ANSYS program, using the finite element method, in which it was possible to study the critical areas of those insulators in relation to the distribution of the electric field. The aim in this paper is to analyze the performance of these insulators under real exposed service conditions, and the first results demonstrated their strong potential for use as substitutes in electrical systems.