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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 7364

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Prof. Dr. Zhijin Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing university, Chongqing 400044, China
Interests: electrical external insulation for complex environment
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on advanced polymeric materials for electrical insulation and high-voltage applications. It aims to present the latest research and developments in polymeric materials that exhibit exceptional electrical insulation properties, thermal stability and mechanical strength, making them suitable for use in high-voltage equipment, insulators, power cables and other electrical insulation systems. This Special Issue covers various aspects of polymeric materials, including their synthesis, processing, characterization and application in electrical insulation. It explores the challenges and opportunities in developing new polymeric materials for high-voltage applications, with a focus on improving the performance, reliability and safety of electrical insulation systems. This Special Issue also highlights the potential of these advanced polymeric materials to revolutionize the electrical insulation industry by providing innovative solutions to existing problems and enabling the development of more efficient and sustainable high-voltage technologies.

Prof. Dr. Zhijin Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

polymeric materials
electrical insulation
high-voltage applications
insulators
insulation property
thermal stability
mechanical strength

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Related Special Issue

Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications, 2nd Edition in Polymers

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 14800 KB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Evaluation of Electrical Breakdown Strength and Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Polymers, Supplemented by ImageJ-Based Surface Damage Analysis

by Anıl Şahin

Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1345; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111345 - 29 May 2026

Viewed by 280

Abstract

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is being increasingly considered for manufacturing electrically insulating components with complex geometries; however, the relationship between mechanical performance and dielectric breakdown behaviour of common printable polymers remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates the electrical insulation potential of five FDM-printed thermoplastic polymers—ABS, PLA, PETG, ASA, and PC/ABS—by evaluating their dielectric breakdown strength and mechanical properties. Specimens were fabricated using fused deposition modelling and tested according to standardised procedures: dielectric breakdown strength was measured in accordance with IEC 60243, and tensile properties were determined following ASTM D638. Surface damage produced during breakdown events, including holes and carbonised regions, was quantified using ImageJ analysis. The results were evaluated comparatively to identify the advantages and limitations of each material for electrical insulation applications. Among the tested materials, PLA exhibited the highest mechanical strength and the lowest surface damage area, whereas ABS demonstrated the highest dielectric breakdown strength. These findings highlight the trade-offs between mechanical and dielectric performance in material selection for 3D-printed insulators, and they demonstrate that ImageJ-based damage analysis serves as a valuable supplementary tool for characterising breakdown behaviour. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications)

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22 pages, 25361 KB

Open AccessArticle

Indicator Selection for Life Prediction of Polyimide Enameled Wire for Aviation Generators and Method for Establishing Life Curve—Based on Bayesian Nonlinear Regression

by Zihan Wang, Yongzhi Liu, Tianxing Li, Peirong Zhu, Guodong Niu and Haoran Du

Polymers 2026, 18(11), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18111343 - 28 May 2026

Viewed by 336

Abstract

Insulation failure in aviation generator windings is one of the most common faults. Modern aircraft winding materials often employ polyimide enameled wire, making research on its reliability and health monitoring particularly important. Based on the relationship between temperature and aging rate described by the Arrhenius law, this study designed accelerated thermal aging experiments, testing twisted-pair, coil, and winding samples made of copper-core polyimide enameled wire. The variation in multiple parameters was visualized using B-spline fitting, ultimately identifying parallel equivalent capacitance as the most suitable parameter for monitoring generator winding insulation. It was also indicated that aging of the winding insulation coating has almost no effect on the performance of the electrical system. Finally, experimental data were processed using Bayesian nonlinear regression, where prior data were updated with new data to obtain posterior aging curves. When the IC (

C_{p}

) value reaches 1.2009 and 1.4089 times its initial value, the sample is considered to have reached 50% and 100% of its lifespan, respectively. This provides a reference approach and quantitative indicators for predicting the lifespan of polyimide enameled wire windings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications)

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22 pages, 2636 KB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Strength Prediction of HTV Silicone Rubber Composite Insulators Based on Aging Characteristics

by Zhijin Zhang, Yao Shen, Shude Jing, Jun Deng, Xingliang Jiang and Yutai Li

Polymers 2026, 18(9), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18091084 - 29 Apr 2026

Viewed by 398

Abstract

To investigate the inevitable aging of composite insulators under the coupled effects of electrical, thermal, ice, and fog stresses, as well as to explore their aging mechanisms and residual strength prediction methods, this study collected operational insulator samples from four environmental regions: Tibet, Yunnan, Hunan Xuefeng Mountain, and Anhui/Chongqing. Mechanical properties, including tensile strength, elongation at break, and shear resistance, were tested. The results indicate that the degradation of mechanical performance in composite insulation components can be attributed to the synergistic interaction of operational environments and material characteristics, with the aging behavior of high-temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber exhibiting significant non-linearity. Based on existing research, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to construct microstructural models at different aging stages, and it was verified that main chain scission, reduced system density, and changes in the elemental chemical environment during aging are closely related to the degradation of material mechanical properties. Based on hyper-elastic constitutive theory and fracture mechanics, a quantitative method for assessing the comprehensive aging degree was proposed, with “service years” and “operational altitude” as the core dimensions. A negative exponential model was established to describe the strength degradation of silicone rubber materials. This model enables the non-destructive estimation of the residual mechanical strength of in-service insulators in complex regions without power interruption, providing a decision-making framework for grid operation and maintenance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications)

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25 pages, 12998 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparisons of Thermo-Oxidative Ageing Performance and Lifespan Evaluation of Grafted Polypropylene and XLPE Cables: Combined Effect of Temperature and Thickness

by Wenjia Zhang, Shangshi Huang, Mingti Wang, Juan Li, Wei Wang, Shixun Hu and Jinliang He

Polymers 2026, 18(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18030386 - 31 Jan 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 827

Abstract

Grafted polypropylene (PPG) has demonstrated significant potential as a recyclable insulation material for high-voltage cables. While its fundamental electrical, mechanical and thermal properties have been widely studied, research on its long-term performance remains insufficient. This study comparatively investigates the thermo-oxidative ageing performance of PPG and traditional cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) to evaluate the expected lifespan of cable insulation. The evolution of mechanical and electrical properties of PPG and XLPE was monitored during accelerated thermo-oxidative ageing experiments conducted at their respective maximum allowable operating temperatures, and the most sensitive ageing parameter was identified. Furthermore, the influence of thickness on the insulation ageing process was examined through experiments on samples of different thicknesses. Results indicate that the estimated thermo-oxidative ageing lifespan of XLPE at its maximum operating temperatures of 90 °C is 37.75 years, while that of PPG at 110 °C is 45.65 years. This work offers a practical methodology for polymer ageing lifespan analysis and provides valuable insights for assessing the long-term performance of PPG cables in high-voltage applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications)

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20 pages, 5353 KB

Open AccessArticle

Aging Mechanisms and Performance Degradation of XLPE Submarine Cable Insulation Under Marine Major Anion Effects

by Liang Zou, Zheng Liu, Zhiyun Han, Shoushui Han, Guochang Li and Qingsong Liu

Polymers 2025, 17(18), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17182450 - 10 Sep 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2097

Abstract

When the outer sheath of submarine cables is damaged, the degradation of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation by anions in seawater becomes a critical factor affecting cable service life. This study investigates 500 kV three-core XLPE insulation and systematically reveals the differential and synergistic degradation mechanisms of major seawater anions (Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, HCO₃⁻). Accelerated aging tests at 90 °C were conducted using solution systems simulating both single-ion and composite environments, combined with electrical performance evaluation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results show that seawater causes significantly greater deterioration of resistivity, breakdown strength, and molecular structure than any single-ion solution. Mechanistic analysis demonstrates that Cl⁻ induces nucleophilic substitution, SO₄²⁻ promotes oxidative chain scission, and HCO₃⁻ facilitates hydrolysis via pH regulation, while their coexistence produces nonlinear synergistic effects through oxidative reactions, electrochemical coupling, and ion transport. This work provides the first systematic comparison of individual and combined anion effects on XLPE, offering new mechanistic insights and quantitative evidence for understanding multi-ion degradation, with implications for insulation material design, protective strategies, and service life prediction of submarine cables. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications)

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15 pages, 6869 KB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Space Charge Characteristics of Polypropylene Insulation Material Under a Polarity Reversal Electric Field

by Xinhua Dong, Guodong Bao and Wei Wang

Polymers 2025, 17(3), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17030430 - 6 Feb 2025

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2052

Abstract

High-voltage (HV) cables may experience voltage polarity reversal during power adjustment, leading to the accumulation of space charges inside the insulation material and causing distortion of the internal electric field. To characterize the effect of grafting modification on the insulation properties of polypropylene (PP), various electrical properties were characterized. The results show that grafting modification can significantly improve the electrical properties of PP, with PPG-2 exhibiting the best electrical properties. Compared with PP, the breakdown strength of PPG-2 is increased by 39.27%, and the critical electric field is increased by 36.52%. Meanwhile, the charge accumulation inside the PPG-2 is extremely small after voltage polarity reversal. The mechanism of grafting modification to enhance the electrical properties of PP was explained by analyzing the trap characteristics of the samples. This indicates that grafting modification introduces a large number of deep traps within PP, suppressing the injection and migration of charge carriers. The presence of deep traps weakens the charge accumulation and electric field distortion at the interface. In this paper, the optimal monomer and content of grafted PP were determined, and the insulation properties of the cable under operating conditions were analyzed. The research results offer practical guidance for the development of high-performance grafted PP cable insulation materials and the reliability of cable operation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymeric Materials for Electrical Insulation and High-Voltage Applications)

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