Insulator‐Induced Conduction

Abstract

The presence of insulating particles, even those of higher resistivity than the liquid, was found to increase electrical conduction in several dielectrical liquids. We believe this to be a general effect which will occur if the particles have a higher dielectric constant than the liquid. In particular, we observed in several highly purified liquids ( and toluene) that the current conducted across a cylindrical electrode system was considerably enhanced when highly purified solids (e.g., polyvinyl chloride, quartz, or sulfur) were held against the smaller inner electrode by dielectrophoretic force. A theory for the effect is given. It emphasizes the effect of local field concentration (field‐focussing) by the particles. This “focussing” of the field in the liquid acts to enhance carrier concentration and conduction since the conduction is in the nonohmic space‐charge‐limited regime.