R.A.C. Altafim

Template-based fluoroethylenepropylene piezoelectrets with tubular channels for transducer applications

We describe the concept, the fabrication, and the most relevant properties of a piezoelectric-polymer system: Two fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP) films with good electret properties are laminated around a specifically designed and prepared polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) template at 300 °C. After removing the PTFE template, a two-layer FEP film with open tubular channels is obtained. For electric charging, the two-layer FEP system is subjected to a high electric field. The resulting dielectric barrier discharges inside the tubular channels yield a ferroelectret with high piezoelectricity. d33 coefficients of up to 160 pC/N have already been achieved on the ferroelectret films. After charging at suitable elevated temperatures, the piezoelectricity is stable at temperatures of at least 130 °C. Advantages of the transducer films include ease of fabrication at laboratory or industrial scales, a wide range of possible geometrical and processing parameters, straightforward control of the uniformity of the polymer ...

A novel method for electret production using impulse voltages

A novel method for producing electrets is proposed in which an electric discharge is induced by a negative impulse voltage in a small air gap. The dielectric foil to be charged is placed between two planar electrodes, being in contact with one of them and separated from the other by the air gap. The electric discharge in the gap causes electric charges to deposit onto the dielectric surface where they are trapped, thus forming the electret. Measurements carried out with Teflon FEP (fluoroethylene propylene) show a very uniform deposition, and that the sample surface potential increases linearly with increasing impulse peak voltage. In principle, this method compares with the corona discharge for the production of electrets with regard to high turnout and low cost. >

Piezoelectricity in multi-air voids electrets

Multi-air voids space-charge electrets have been developed using two fluorethylenepropylene (Teflon-FEP) films. In this work, a new technique developed to assembler these films allows the control of the thickness and shapes of multi-air voids distributed on their surface. When an impulse voltage process charges these voids, it is possible to obtain samples with high piezoelectric coefficients. To explain this piezoelectric characteristic, a theoretical explanation based on the electret microphone mechanism is introduced. Measurements show the piezoelectric coefficients for different frequencies.

The effects of fillers on polyurethane resin-based electrical insulators

The increasingly widespread use of polymeric insulators in vehicle distributors and transmission systems has led to an ongoing quest for quality and low costs. This quest has, in turn, resulted in improved performance and cost benefits, brought about by the use of new polymeric and composite resins. Occasionally, however, while some properties are improved, others may show a loss of optimal performance. Therefore, to understand the behavior of fillers, such as carbon black, silica and mica added to castor oil-derived polyurethane resins, several thermal, mechanical and electrical tests were conducted on samples and insulators produced specifically for this purpose, using these new materials. The results of these tests clearly demonstrated that this type of resin and its composites can be used to manufacture indoor electrical insulators and that the fillers analyzed in this study improve or maintain the characteristics of the pure resins.

Laminated tubular-channel ferroelectret systems from low-density polyethylene films and from fluoroethylene- propylene copolymer films - A comparison

A template-based lamination technique for the manufacture of ferroelectrets from uniform electret films was recently reported. In the present work, this technique is used to prepare similar ferroelectret structures from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and from fluoro-ethylene-propylene (FEP) copolymer films. A comparative analysis of the pressure-, temperature-, and frequency-dependent piezoelectric properties has been performed on the two ferroelectret systems. It is observed that the FEP ferroelectrets exhibit better piezoelectric responses and are thermally more stable. The difference between the piezoelectric d33 coefficients of the two ferroelectret systems is partially explained here by their different elastic moduli. The anti-resonance peaks of both structures have been investigated by means of dielectric resonance spectroscopy and electroacoustic sound-pressure measurements. A difference of more than 10 kHz is observed between the anti-resonance frequencies of the two ferroelectret systems.

Hydrophobicity classification of polymeric materials based on fractal dimension

This study proposes a new method to obtain hydrophobicity classification (HC) in high voltage polymer insulators. In the method mentioned, the HC was analyzed by fractal dimension (fd) and its processing time was evaluated having as a goal the application in mobile devices. Texture images were created from spraying solutions produced of mixtures of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water in proportions, which ranged from 0 to 100% volume of alcohol (%AIA). Based on these solutions, the contact angles of the drops were measured and the textures were used as patterns for fractal dimension calculations.

Piezoelectret sensors detect geometry-related modifications of the acoustical signatures from partial discharges in an electrical equipment chamber

Piezoelectrets from thin electrically charged cellular polypropylene-foam films have been suggested for numerous transducer applications, such as force sensors for keyboards, flat microphones for conference environments, or devices for ultrasound generation and detection. In addition to polypropylene piezoelectrets, other materials systems - such as thermo-fused polymer-film stacks - were developed in order to generate piezoelectrets that are thermally more stable and contain geometrically well-controlled air cavities. Here, we demonstrate the viability of the recently developed piezoelectret systems that had been prepared by thermo-lamination with templates for the acoustical detection of electric discharges in air. Furthermore, we show that the resonance behavior of the air cavity in which the electric discharge occurs can also be assessed from the acoustic signal. For the experiments, a transducer prototype with a preamplifier directly connected to the laminated piezoelectret sensor inside an electrically shielded package was developed. Reproducible sound measurements according to the ASTM E976-10 standard were performed with the transducer prototype. The prototype was later employed in acoustical measurements of electric discharges in an air gap inside an acoustical chamber - in order to reduce external noise - and in a metallic chamber for reducing electrical interference. The recorded signals were compared by means of Fast-Fourier-Transform (FFT) analysis.

Template-based fluoropolymer ferroelectrets with multiple layers of tubular channels

Significant efforts are devoted to developing new ferroelectrets with well-controlled void distributions or uniform voids and with good long-term and thermal stability of the piezoelectricity. Here, we describe the concept, the fabrication, and the most relevant properties of fluoropolymer ferroelectret systems with three separate films of fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP), alternating with two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) templates. The FEP films are selectively fused by means of a lamination process. Two practically identical PTFE templates are used, which have parallel rectangular openings (1.5×30 mm2) separated by PTFE ridges of 1.5 mm width. After removing the PTFE templates, a three-layer FEP-film sandwich with tubular channels is obtained. We demonstrate that such FEP-film systems exhibit significant and stable piezoelectricity after charging under a high DC voltage. The resulting piezoelectric effect may be further improved by carefully assembling and arranging the PTFE templates during preparation.

Wood cross-arms coated with polyurethane resin - tests and numerical simulations

Brazils electric power utilities have commonly employed native timbers as the main material for manufacturing cross-arms for distribution lines. However, the increasingly high costs of these timbers and Brazils new environmental laws have contributed to change this situation, spurring research on new materials for application in transmission and distribution systems. This paper discusses two reforested wood species, Pinus elliottii and Eucalyptus citriodora, coated with castor oil-based polyurethane resins, as an alternative material for distribution line cross-arms, from the standpoint of their mechanical and electrical properties and their low cost. Numerical simulations and a complete description of the entire coating process are also part of this work.

Hydrophobicity of polyurethane resins

The growth of polymeric insulator applications has shown a sharp upward trend thanks to the advantages of these insulators over the traditional porcelain and glass models. One of their most important features is their hydrophobicity, which allows water to be retained on their surface, preventing them from undergoing high current leakage. The present paper therefore aims to classify the degrees of hydrophobicity of castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis) derived polyurethane resins, which display special dielectric properties for the manufacture of polymeric insulators. The goniometric measurement technique was used through image processing. The main reason for using this technique was its guaranteed repeatability and the solution it offers for the problem of human subjectivity to which the visual inspection technique is prone.