Comprehensive Properties of Grafted Polypropylene Insulation Materials for AC/DC Distribution Power Cables

Polypropylene (PP) exhibits excellent insulation properties, high thermo-stability, and recyclable nature, thus expected to be the next-generation insulation material for HV cable application. Chemical grafting modification is an effective technology to improve the electrical properties of polypropylene. In this paper, we develop and report a new-type grafted PP insulation material by water-phase grafting technology. The comprehensive properties including electrical, thermal, and mechanical of it are tested and compared with traditional cable insulation material—crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE). The results show that the grafted PP holds superior thermal properties and enough mechanical flexibility. The electrical properties are of significant advantages, including resistivity enhanced by nearly two degrees of magnitudes, AC/DC breakdown strength raised by over 20%, and obviously suppressed space charge accumulation. These results indicate that grafted PP is very suitable for application in HV cable systems, either AC or DC. This research lays a foundation for the research and development of the next-generation recyclable polypropylene cables at higher voltage levels.