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The effect of sample thickness on the relative breakdown strength of epoxy systems

The effect of sample thickness on the relative breakdown strength of epoxy systems
The effect of sample thickness on the relative breakdown strength of epoxy systems
It is long established that initial testing of new techniques or systems is performed using reduced quantities or loadings to lower costs and give a quick indication of performance, before more realistic large scale tests are undertaken. This is also often the case for initial material studies. One specific technique is the electrical breakdown strength of dielectric materials to be used as insulators. Since it is difficult to generate the very high voltages to give breakdown data on final-geometry samples, especially without causing excessive damage to equipment, the ASTM standard allows smaller samples to be tested to give an indication of the material’s properties. In recent work, 100 µm thick samples were created to provide breakdown strength data for a range of epoxy-based systems; the quantitative effect of scaling up from the limited sample thickness to technologically realistic values needs to be considered. Volume and area effects are intrinsic to Weibull analysis since they affect the probability of a defect or impurity being in the breakdown path. Also, further size effects come into play in the case of filled materials, where anomalous effects can be introduced when filler dimension approach that of the sample being tested. This investigation aims to analyse the effect of sample dimensions on the experimental breakdown strength of epoxy systems with varying sample thickness. Using a proven sample production technique, thin epoxy films with thicknesses varying from 50 µm up to 1 mm have been produced. These samples were then electrically tested using a specialised electrical breakdown instrument and data processed using Weibull statistics. This paper analyses the breakdown characteristics of the samples relative to their thicknesses in order to (a) test the validity of the Weibull distribution and (b) to provide estimates of the optimum sample dimensions for different material formulations.
Reading, Martin
44f7be0b-09ac-413d-a434-c991bcce6315
Xu, Zhiqiang
797f8b0e-a035-4cf9-ac3f-99098a3fdb50
Vaughan, Alun
6d813b66-17f9-4864-9763-25a6d659d8a3
Lewin, Paul
78b4fc49-1cb3-4db9-ba90-3ae70c0f639e
Reading, Martin
44f7be0b-09ac-413d-a434-c991bcce6315
Xu, Zhiqiang
797f8b0e-a035-4cf9-ac3f-99098a3fdb50
Vaughan, Alun
6d813b66-17f9-4864-9763-25a6d659d8a3
Lewin, Paul
78b4fc49-1cb3-4db9-ba90-3ae70c0f639e

Reading, Martin, Xu, Zhiqiang, Vaughan, Alun and Lewin, Paul (2011) The effect of sample thickness on the relative breakdown strength of epoxy systems. Dielectrics 2011, The University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom. 13 - 15 Apr 2011.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)

Abstract

It is long established that initial testing of new techniques or systems is performed using reduced quantities or loadings to lower costs and give a quick indication of performance, before more realistic large scale tests are undertaken. This is also often the case for initial material studies. One specific technique is the electrical breakdown strength of dielectric materials to be used as insulators. Since it is difficult to generate the very high voltages to give breakdown data on final-geometry samples, especially without causing excessive damage to equipment, the ASTM standard allows smaller samples to be tested to give an indication of the material’s properties. In recent work, 100 µm thick samples were created to provide breakdown strength data for a range of epoxy-based systems; the quantitative effect of scaling up from the limited sample thickness to technologically realistic values needs to be considered. Volume and area effects are intrinsic to Weibull analysis since they affect the probability of a defect or impurity being in the breakdown path. Also, further size effects come into play in the case of filled materials, where anomalous effects can be introduced when filler dimension approach that of the sample being tested. This investigation aims to analyse the effect of sample dimensions on the experimental breakdown strength of epoxy systems with varying sample thickness. Using a proven sample production technique, thin epoxy films with thicknesses varying from 50 µm up to 1 mm have been produced. These samples were then electrically tested using a specialised electrical breakdown instrument and data processed using Weibull statistics. This paper analyses the breakdown characteristics of the samples relative to their thicknesses in order to (a) test the validity of the Weibull distribution and (b) to provide estimates of the optimum sample dimensions for different material formulations.

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More information

Published date: 13 April 2011
Additional Information: Event Dates: 13 - 15 April 2011
Venue - Dates: Dielectrics 2011, The University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom, 2011-04-13 - 2011-04-15
Organisations: Electronics & Computer Science, EEE

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 272197
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/272197
PURE UUID: bcf23d1d-5d98-4464-b114-7555eb19f315
ORCID for Zhiqiang Xu: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6640-7335
ORCID for Alun Vaughan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0535-513X
ORCID for Paul Lewin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3299-2556

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 16 Apr 2011 10:38
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:36

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Contributors

Author: Martin Reading
Author: Zhiqiang Xu ORCID iD
Author: Alun Vaughan ORCID iD
Author: Paul Lewin ORCID iD

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