How Alpha, Beta and Gamma modes of the dielectric relaxation process are linked to the aging degree of insulation materials used in power cables such as XLPE and PVC ? and how these relaxation transitions can be used to evaluate the aging process ?
Two instruments were employed to measure complex permittivity of the polymers. The first one is a Novocontrol Spectrometer, which is capable of measurement over frequency range from 1 µHz to 3 GHz. A temperature-controlled sample cell also permits measurements at temperatures from -200 °C to 500 °C. The other one is an Agilent E4980A LCR meter coupled with a 16451 dielectric test fixture, which is available from 20 Hz to 2 MHz at room temperature.
The interfacial polarization, also known as Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars (MWS) relaxation, has been widely observed experimentally. Since the MWS, α- and β-relaxations of the nanocomposite material are merged together, a theoretical function is necessary for separate analysis of the frequency dependence of the three relaxations. Four classical dielectric relaxation functions have been developed and widely applied: Debye, Cole-Cole, Davidson-Cole, and Havriliak-Negami (HN) functions.