Performance of polymer concrete insulators in Latin America

Polymer concrete is a relatively low-cost composite material system that has been developed to be a technically viable alternative to porcelain for most high voltage electrical insulation applications (both outdoor and indoor). Following the early development of the material at Westinghouse R&D under the sponsorship of the Electric Power Research Institute, numerous additional R&D projects/studies have been carried out both in the US and abroad. The material is now utilized by many utilities and accepted by a wide range of electrical industries for a host of routine as well as innovative applications. This paper summarizes the performance of polymer concrete in various types of insulator applications in Brazil. The performance of the insulators, after approximately 6 years in the field, appears to be good and trouble-free, confirming, generally, the experience with well-designed, scientifically formulated and properly processed polymer concrete insulators in other parts of the world