Environmental effects and algae resistance of silicone surfaces for enhanced understanding of polymer insulators

轻质聚合物绝缘子是一种重要的可持续替代陶瓷材料的材料，用于向全球各地的城镇配电。它们价格更低，制造所需的能源更少，并且可以在严酷的环境中提供更长时间和更稳定的服务，例如，聚合物经历高达55度的高温气候，冬季聚合物表面积聚除冰盐的地区，以及藻类污染严重的沿海环境。重要的是要了解聚合物材料如何经受住这些条件，特别是这种环境暴露如何可能损害材料防止水进入的能力。在所有这些情况下，必须在同时施加电应力的情况下进行测试，以最好地再现使用中的40,000伏应用。该方案旨在研究聚合物绝缘子表面在高温和高压下的基本物理化学性质，并随后表征淡水和咸水藻类在表面定居的能力。同时，该项目为培训下一代科学家和工程师提供了许多机会，使他们掌握先进的材料表征方法。

Lightweight polymer insulators are an important and sustainable alternative to ceramic materials for power distribution to towns and cities across the globe. They are less expensive and require less energy to manufacture, and may offer longer and more stable service in harsh environments such as hot climates where the polymers experience temperatures up to 55 degrees, winter areas where de-icing salts accumulate on polymer surfaces, and coastal environments where contamination by algae is a serious concern. It is important to understand how the polymer materials stand up to these conditions, in particular how such environmental exposure may compromise the ability of the material to prevent the ingress of water. In all of these cases, testing must be done under simultaneous electrical stress, to best reproduce the 40,000-volt application in use. This proposal seeks to study the fundamental physical chemical properties of polymer insulator surfaces under elevated temperature and high voltage, and subsequently characterizes the ability of freshwater and saltwater algae to colonize the surface. At the same time, this project provides many opportunities for training the next generation of scientists and engineers in advanced materials characterization methods.