Evidence for the role of free volume in the high field breakdown of polymers

27 October 2016

conference paper
Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

p. 499-508
https://doi.org/10.1109/eidp.1980.7683883

Abstract

The characteristic sharp reduction in electric strength exhibited by most polymeric materials at a critical temperature, Tc, is well documented.^{1, 2} There is substantial agreement that the low temperature breakdown mechanism is likely to be electronic in nature. A number of theories have been proposed although they all have the common feature that an indefinitely large electron multiplication determines the eventual destruction of the material. Of these theories, perhaps that due to Fröhlich³ has been the most successful and has been adapted to describe both amorphous materials and events in the temperature region above Tc, where the density of conduction electrons is sufficiently high to make interaction with trapped electrons the preferred energy exchange process. To a first approximation the electric strength, E, decreases on the basis of a Fröhlich model according to the relation, equation

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