Development of RTV Silicone Coatings in China: Overview and Bibliography [Feature article]

The development of room temperature vulcanized (RTV) silicone coatings in China began in early 1985. Over the course of time, they have come to be widely used in China. At present, nearly 800,000 kg of RTV coatings are used every year. They have successfully prevented serious pollution flashover of traditional glass and porcelain insulators and radically reduced the costs of maintaining transmission lines in polluted areas. RTV silicone coatings have been extensively studied in China. The main aspects of the research include improvements in the properties of the formula for better adhesion to porcelain and control of leakage current, the hydrophobicity transference mechanism, and aging. These decades of research have successfully promoted the development of RTV silicone coatings in China. The history of the development and research of RTV silicone coatings in China are discussed in this article.