Modern Substitutes for Natural Castor Oil as a Dielectric Fluid

Synthetic esters have become increasingly popular over the past decades, which is reflected in the steady growth in the number of installations filled with these liquids. Interest in them is due to both fundamental research aimed at studying breakdown mechanisms and applied aspects of their operation. However, the use of synthetic esters in high-voltage equipment is associated with a number of technical challenges, which requires a deeper understanding of their behavior under various operating conditions. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest achievements in the study of synthetic esters as dielectrics as a replacement for castor oil, which are most significant for further development and optimization of dielectrics. In particular, the following are considered: electrophysical characteristics of all oils, as well as synthetic esters, their behavior