Study on the Microscopic Mechanisms of Electrical Treeing Initiation Induced by Chemical Defects in Crosslinked Polyethylene Cable
LI Yasha1,2,*, WANG Guibin1,2, WANG Fuda1, ZHOU Chaowei1, WU Diao1, DONG Heng1, JING Yuqi1
1 School of Electrical and New Energy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, Hubei, China 2 Hubei Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Power Transmission Line, Yichang 443002, Hubei, China
Abstract: Electrical treeing aging is one of the reasons of cable insulation deterioration, closely related to internal defects formed during material aging. To reveal the initiation mechanism of electrical treeing aging induced by chemical defects in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) after aging, this work employs density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the microscopic properties of three molecular systems under an external electric field at atomic and molecular levels:pristine XLPE, XLPE with introduced carbonyl defects (XLPE-C=O), and XLPE with vinyl defects (XLPE-C=CH2), and examines the properties include molecular geometry, orbital energy levels, electrostatic potential, and excited states. The results indicate that introducing chemical defects causes molecular chains to curl, increases the dipole moment, and enhances molecular polarity, facilitating space charge accumulation. These characteristics are further intensified under an external electric field, with XLPE-C=O exhibiting the most significant alterations. Under an external electric field, the trap depths introduced by chemical defects gradually decrease, while XLPE-C=O de-monstrates the least sensitivity to the electric field, with electron traps stable near the carbonyl group (-C=O). Following defect formation, excitation energy is substantially reduced. For XLPE-C=O molecules, the hole-electron distribution of the first excited state exhibits localized excitation characteristics within the carbonyl (-C=O) region as the external electric field intensifies, which is conducive to electroluminescence generation through hole-electron recombination. Consequently, carbonyl (-C=O) defects introduced into molecular chains during aging are identified as one of the key factors inducing electrical treeing degradation in cross-linked polyethylene cables.
李亚莎, 王桂斌, 王福达, 周朝威, 吴雕, 董恒, 敬禹圻. 化学缺陷对交联聚乙烯电缆电树枝诱发的微观机理研究[J]. 材料导报, 2026, 40(10): 25040207-9.
LI Yasha, WANG Guibin, WANG Fuda, ZHOU Chaowei, WU Diao, DONG Heng, JING Yuqi. Study on the Microscopic Mechanisms of Electrical Treeing Initiation Induced by Chemical Defects in Crosslinked Polyethylene Cable. Materials Reports, 2026, 40(10): 25040207-9.
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