Compatibility of Printed Photopolymers With Nine-Month Immersion in Common High Voltage Insulation Oils

To enable the use of additively manufactured polymer materials as structural and insulating components within high-voltage pulsed power systems, a better understanding of material compatibility with common pulser material environments is required. This work examines the effect of long-duration contact of printed polymeric components with three high-voltage insulating oils (Shell Diala S2 ZX-A, Luminol TRi, and Royco 602) at room temperature (~25 °C). Test pieces printed using stereolithography (SLA) were evaluated for changes in dielectric strength, mechanical properties, and composition after submersion in insulating oil for a nine-month duration. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for compositional analysis on neat and polymer-exposed oils to identify compositional changes that occurred in the oil over the course of the exposure period.