Influence of electro-mechanical stress on electrical properties of dielectric polymers

The influence of high electrical fields on water treeing, electrical treeing, relaxation, conductivity and charge mobility in various polymers is reviewed within the context of a molecular model. The real value of the AC field acting on water trees is questioned and it is shown that the strain induced by very large fields may affect the water tree growth in solutions with large dielectric constant. A model based on simple electrostatic and molecular parameters describes most water treeing results. Light emitted during electrical tree growth could be associated with the field-induced strain at the tip of the electrode. The strain in PET is also related to the Maxwell stress due to high DC field. The log of the charge stored in some polymers varies with the square of the field suggesting that there same phenomenon might influence charge formation under high fields. The significance of a constant mobility value is discussed in light of experiments showing that it is not constant at moderate fields in various polymers. It is shown that the only constant parameter under varying high fields is the activation volume typical of a given sample. Future work is pointed out, especially regarding the nature of the trapping sites and the influence of sample size on the activation volume.