Surface structural characterization of polymer composite insulators for improved weather resistance

聚合物基材料有望作为当前玻璃或陶瓷设计的替代品用于电力线路的绝缘体。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，在制定材料以使其能够承受加拿大**气候的极端夏季和冬季条件方面，仍有工作要做。这一领域的一大挑战是对除冰剂的化学抵抗力。到目前为止，已经对有机硅和三元乙丙橡胶等**材料进行了测试，并**有了一些一般性的发现，但这些材料在**电气负荷下对气候变化的反应仍有待了解。在这项提案中，将结合表面特定光谱、显微镜和**疏水性的宏观测量进行。其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，并能够从**分子水平上解释观察到的材料性能的下降。同时，这个**项目为培训下一代科学家先进的化学**结构和材料表征方法提供了许多机会。

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.