Physical and chemical aspects of partial discharges and their effects on materials

Non-sparking discharges in gases at atmospheric pressure appear in the literature under different headings: non equilibrium plasmas, coronas, partial, silent and barrier discharges, electrical losses, … But under these different names, which generally cover applications of different types, there exist common features with definite effects on insulating materials. This is the topic of the present introductive paper, which does not cover voids, of a micrometer range or less, where other physical mechanisms can enter into play