Degradation Mechanism of Polyimide Film Under Square Impulse Voltages

Partial discharge (PD) under a sequence of high-repetition-rate square pulses is one of the key factors leading to premature failure of insulation systems of inverter-fed motors. Polyimide (PI) film is an important type of insulating material used in the inverter-fed motors. In this paper, micro-morphology and structure change of PI film aged by bipolar continuous square impulse voltage (BCSIV) with ampli- tude above partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) are investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical bonds of PI chain are analyzed through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the degradation mechanism of PI film is the fracturing of chemical bonds caused by the erosion from PDs. Three layers are displayed in both 100 HN film and 100 CR film. The de- gradation path of PI film is initiated from surface and then gradually extends to the interior with continuous aging. Nano-fillers can retard the degradation of PI film and prolong its lifetime.