Temperature and Endurance Time of Electrostatic Field Strengths of Polymeric Spacecraft Insulators

POSTER

Abstract

The electrostatic breakdown of polymeric materials is important in the design and lifetimes of power line, spacecraft, computational systems, and electronic military components. The key parameters in determining material lifetime include the applied temperature and electric field and the material parameters (Gibbs free energy and density of states). This study measures the endurance time to breakdown under an applied static electric field for low density polyethylene (LDPE) as a function of field strength and temperature. Using a custom high vacuum chamber, well characterized ramping procedures and temperature control, the time to breakdown is accurately determined for endurance times ranging from 10$^{0}$ s to 10$^{5}$ s. The measured endurance time data for LDPE has been fit with a new theoretical formalism that describes a transition between two established theories based on recoverable and irrecoverable defect formation.

Authors

  • Charles Sim

    Utah State University, Department of Physics

  • Andrew Polemi

    Utah State University, Brigham Young University, University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, High Altitude Observatory, University of Colorado at Boulder, Massachutes Institute of Technology, Utah Valley University, University of New Hampshire, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, University of Montana, Southwest Research Institute, University of Southern California, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SciPrint.org, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Colorado State University, V. Alecsandri College, Bacau, Romania, Colorado School of Mines, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Utah State University, Department of Physics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Brigham Young University - Idaho, University of Arizona, Florida State University, Weber State University, Brigham Young University - Provo, New Mexico State University, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523

  • Andrew Polemi

    Utah State University, Brigham Young University, University of Pennsylvania, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, High Altitude Observatory, University of Colorado at Boulder, Massachutes Institute of Technology, Utah Valley University, University of New Hampshire, Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, University of Montana, Southwest Research Institute, University of Southern California, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SciPrint.org, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Colorado State University, V. Alecsandri College, Bacau, Romania, Colorado School of Mines, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Utah State University, Department of Physics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Brigham Young University - Idaho, University of Arizona, Florida State University, Weber State University, Brigham Young University - Provo, New Mexico State University, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523