Fundamental studies of the influence of the morphology of cross-linked polyethylenes on the accumulation and mobility of space charges

交联低密度聚乙烯（xLDPE）由于其主要的非极性特性、高体积电阻和低损耗因子，已成为高压技术领域交流部件绝缘的有机绝缘材料。由于能源转型引起的潮流变化，德国电网发展规划中将高压直流输电作为长距离输电的解决方案。这改变了所使用的电介质中的电场应力。已知聚合物绝缘材料在高DC场应力下倾向于积累空间电荷。从组件设计的角度来看，这必须避免，因为电介质受到额外的场负载，这又导致聚合物的老化增加，从而减少组件的寿命。初步工作表明，xLDPE中空间电荷的积累可以受到其结构和形态的影响。本项目的目标是从根本上研究xLDPE的结构和形态与高直流应力下空间电荷的形成、积累和迁移之间的相互作用。因为，特别是在交联聚乙烯的情况下，不仅结构（支化度、交联度）而且它们的形态（晶体的类型、排列和取向、结晶度、取向等）都与聚乙烯的结构（支化度、交联度）有关。因此，它们的热性能（弛豫温度、熔融温度）可能在很宽的范围内受到影响，将生产具有定义的结构和形态的xLDPE试样，用脉冲电声法（PEA）分析空间电荷积累，并推导出结构-性能关系。该项目的实现需要高分子科学和高电压工程的协同合作。

Cross-linked low-density polyethylene (xLDPE) has established itself as an organic insulating material for the insulation of AC components in the field of high-voltage technology due to its largely non-polar character, high volume resistance and low loss factor. Due to the change of power flow caused by the energy transition, high-voltage direct current transmission is used as a solution for long distance power transmission in German grid development planning. This changes the electric field stress in used dielectrics. It is known that polymer insulating materials tend to accumulate space charges under high DC field stress. From the point of view of component design, this must be avoided, since the dielectric is subjected to additional field loading, which in turn leads to increased aging of the polymer and thus to a reduction in the lifetime of the component. Preliminary work shows, that the accumulation of space charges in xLDPE can be influenced by its structure and morphology. The goal of this project is to fundamentally investigate the interactions between the structure and morphology of xLDPE and the formation, accumulation and mobility of space charges under high DC stress. Since, especially in the case of cross-linked polyethylenes, not only the structure (degree of branching, degree of cross-linking) but also their morphology (type, arrangement and orientation of crystals, crystallinity, orientation, etc.) and, consequently, their thermal properties (relaxation temperatures, melting temperature) can be influenced within wide limits, xLDPE test specimens with a defined structure and morphology will be produced, analyzed with the pulsed electro-acoustic method (PEA) regarding the space charge accumulation, and structure-property relationships will be derived. Cooperative collaboration of polymer science and high voltage engineering is required for realizing this project.