Surface structural characterization of polymer composite insulators for improved weather resistance

聚合物基材料有望用于电力线的绝缘体，作为目前玻璃或陶瓷设计的替代品。塑料结构可以提供更高的电阻，更低的制造和安装成本，并且重量更轻。然而，在制定材料方面仍有工作要做，以使其能够承受加拿大极端的夏季和冬季气候条件。这一领域的一大挑战是对除冰剂的耐化学性。迄今为止，一些材料，如硅胶和EPDM（乙丙二烯单体）橡胶的测试已经进行，并且存在一些一般的发现，但仍然需要了解这些材料在电负载下对风化的反应。在本提案中，将结合表面特异性光谱，显微镜和**宏观疏水性测量进行。目的是确定哪些材料在特定的化学和物理条件下表现最好，并能够为任何观察到的材料性能下降提供一些分子水平的解释。同时，该**项目为培养下一代科学家提供了许多机会，使他们掌握先进的化学**结构和材料表征方法。

Polymer-based materials are promising for use in insulators for electrical power lines as an alternative to**current glass or ceramic designs. The plastic structures can offer increased electrical resistance, lower**manufacturing and installation cost, and be of lighter weight. However, there is still work to be done in terms**of formulating the material so that it can withstand the extreme summer and winter conditions of Canadian**climates. A large challenge in this area is chemical resistance to de-icing agents. To date, testing of some**materials such as silicone and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubbers has been carried out, and**some general findings exist, but it is remains to be understood how the materials respond to weathering under**their electrical load. In this proposal, a combination of surface-specific spectroscopy, microscopy, and**macroscopic measurements of the hydrophobicity will be carried out. The aim is to identify which materials**perform the best under specific sets of chemical and physical conditions, and to be able to provide some**molecular-level explanation for any observed degradation in material performance. At the same time, this**project provides many opportunities for training the next generation of scientists in advanced chemical**structure and materials characterization methods.