access icon openaccess Failure analysis of a field brittle fracture composite insulator: characterisation by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis

This is an open access article published by the IET and CEPRI under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)
Received 11/09/2018, Accepted 17/12/2018, Revised 06/11/2018, Published 17/12/2018

In the present work, a field brittle fracture composite insulator was collected and examined with the purpose of obtaining a better understanding of the failure features. Firstly, the macroscopic and microscopic fractography of this fractured composite insulator was observed confirming that the classical brittle fracture morphology features appeared in this field failed composite insulator. Secondly, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was performed on the fracture surface of the glass-fibre-reinforced polymer rod. By examining the XPS survey spectra and high-resolution XPS spectra for nitrogen, sulphur, silicon, calcium, aluminium, boron and carbon elements, the type of the glass fibre and the acid source responsible for this brittle fracture composite insulator were confirmed. Furthermore, the oxidation of the silicate network of glass fibre at the fracture surface was first observed, meanwhile, the oxidation of the epoxy resin matrix was also observed. The leaching of non-silicate constituents leading to a high-silica glass fibre was also observed; moreover, in comparison with the calcium and aluminium elements, the boron element resides in the silicate network was more preferential to be leached. The present work provides an insight into the brittle fracture in high voltage composite insulator from chemical properties point of view.

Inspec keywords: failure (mechanical); composite insulators; resins; surface morphology; glass fibre reinforced plastics; brittle fracture; fractography; X-ray photoelectron spectra; oxidation

Other keywords: microscopic fractography; oxidation; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis; brittle fracture; epoxy resin matrix; macroscopic fractography; silicate glass network; classical brittle fracture morphology; glass-fibre-reinforced polymer rod; leaching; field brittle fracture composite insulator; fracture surface; failure analysis

Subjects: Fatigue, embrittlement, and fracture; Nondestructive materials testing methods; Photoelectron spectra of composite surfaces; Fatigue, brittleness, fracture, and cracks; Mechanical and acoustical properties of solid surfaces and interfaces; Solid surface structure; Surface treatment and degradation of composites

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