Decay-like Fracture Mechanism of Silicone Rubber Composite Insulator

In recent years, a new kind of abnormal fracture phenomena of composite insulator occurred in high voltage transmission lines in several countries, which was totally different from brittle fracture and normal fracture. According to the general characteristic features of the fracture, this type of failure was named decay-like fracture of composite insulator by the author. In this paper, a decay-like fractured composite insulator was investigated and microscopic physic-chemical properties of decay-like fractured Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) core rod were analyzed. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy methods were employed to explain the microscopic morphology characteristics and chemical component changes of decay-like fractured composite insulator, and to further explain the reasons for the name of decay-like fracture in terms of crisp and decay-like. The main microscopic feature of decay-like fracture is the degradation and deterioration of the epoxy resin matrix in FRP rod. The mechanism of decay-like fracture of composite insulator could be summarized as follows. Due to the liquids penetration into the sheath-core interface, hydrolysis of silane coupling agent with bad quality leads to poor adhesion strength and interface voids, which results in distortion of electric field at the sheath-core interface. Under the combined action of damp condition and high electric field, discharge and current appear along the FRP rod surface. Epoxy resin matrix is eroded in the presence of discharge and current, and then is soften, melt, evaporated. Meanwhile, ion-exchange and hydrolysis process happen between glass fibers under the combined action of mechanical stress and nitric acid produced by discharge in the presence of moisture. Fiber-resin interface in FRP rod is separated owing to the erosion of epoxy resin. The degradation direction of the decay-like fracture is from outside to inside of FRP rod, and the interface between silicone rubber sheath and FRP rod is confirmed to be the initial deterioration area of the decay-like fracture. The criterion to distinguish the differences between the decay-like fracture, brittle fracture and normal fracture depends on whether the epoxy resin matrix is degraded and deteriorated or not.