Charging kinetics of xlpe insulation cables under e-beam irradiation in SEM: Effect of thermal aging

In this paper a charging kinetics of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) under electronic beam irradiation in scanning electron microscope (SEM) is quantified by the evaluation of trapped charge. The effect of thermal aging at different temperatures ranged from 80°C to 140°C is highlighted and analyzed. The variation of charging process of XLPE is monitored with measuring the influence current, leading to the calculation of trapped charge. The charging kinetics of XLPE can be related to the cross-linking by-products, the physical defects and the chemical defects. The oxidation which is a very important form of XLPE thermal degradation has an effect at the advanced stage of the aging process.