Surface Microstructure Study on Corona Discharge-Treated Polyethylene Using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy
Jingjing Li,
Zhiwei Shen,
Liuyang Tie,
Tianyuan Long,
Qiyue Zhong,
Xi Chen,
Chongshan Yin,
Liguo Liufu,
Xianhao Huang,
Bangyun Xiong,
Xibo Li,
Chongxiong Duan,
Chunqing He
Affiliations
Jingjing Li
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Zhiwei Shen
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Liuyang Tie
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Tianyuan Long
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Qiyue Zhong
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Xi Chen
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Chongshan Yin
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronic Materials Genome Engineering, School of Physics and Electronic Science, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Liguo Liufu
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Xianhao Huang
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Bangyun Xiong
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Xibo Li
Department of Physics, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
Chongxiong Duan
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Hydrogen Energy Technologies, School of Materials Science and Hydrogen Energy, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, China
Chunqing He
Key Laboratory of Nuclear Solid-State Physics Hubei Province, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
The microstructure and chemical properties of the corona discharge process could provide an effective method for predicting the performance of high-voltage cable insulation materials. In this work, the depth profile of the microstructure and chemical characteristics of corona discharge-treated PE were extensively investigated using Doppler broadening of position annihilation spectroscopy accompanied with positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectra and contact angle measurement. By increasing corona discharge duration, the oxygen-containing polar groups, including hydroxyl, carbonyl and ester groups, strongly contribute to the deterioration of hydrophobicity and the enhancement of hydrophilicity. And the mean free volume size, with a broadening distribution, decreases slightly. The line shape S parameter decreases because of the decrease in free volume elements and the appearance of oxygen-containing groups. Also, the thickness of the degradation layer, determined from the S parameter with positron injection depth, increases and diffuses into the PE matrix. A linear S-W plot within the degradation layer of different corona treatment duration samples indicates the defect type does not change. The S parameter decreases and the W parameter increases with an increasing corona duration. Using a slow positron beam, the nondestructive probe can be used to profile the microstructure and chemical environment across the corona discharge damage depth, which is beneficial for investigating the surface and interfacial insulation materials.
