Aging effect of UV radiation on SIR insulators´ hydrophobicity property

Based on the simulation of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the Sun´s rays and in corona, the aging effect of UV radiation on composite insulators was studied in this paper, especially the effect on hydrophobicity properties. It is found that after irradiation with UV, no matter whether a short time of less than 24 hours or a long time of 2000 hours, the hydrophobicity and the hydrophobicity transfer properties of silicone rubber (SIR), which are described by contact angle, slowly turns better. Four different kinds of samples with different prescriptions were used in the test. As UV sources, a special setup to simulate the UV rays of corona and a xenon light to simulate the sunlight were both used. The change of rigidity of silicone rubber was also measured. Infrared spectra of the silicone rubber surface, irradiated by UV for various times, show that the content of the low molecule weight on the surface is different, and this can be due to the discrepancy of hydrophobicity properties of the samples.