Low pressure and time storage influences on the electrets stability of HDPE composite films

Abstract

The influence of both low pressure and time storage on the surface potential decay of high density polyethylene (HDPE) composite films with different weight concentrations of the zeolite particles - 0 wt.%, 2 wt.% and 6 wt.% were studied. The samples were charged in a corona discharge by means of a corona triode system for ' minute under room conditions. Positive or negative 5kV voltage was applied to the corona electrode and 1 kV voltage of the same polarity as that of the corona electrode was applied to the grid. After charging, the electret surface potential was measured by the method of the vibrating electrode with compensation. Two groups of tests were performed. In the first group after charging, the electrets were placed into a vacuum chamber where the pressure was reduced step by step in the range from 1000 mbar to 0.1 mbar. At each step the samples were stored for 1 minute. Then the electrets were removed from the vacuum chamber, the surface potential was measured again and the normalized surface potential was calculated. It was established that the low pressure had led to the surface potential decay of the electrets. The influence of the low pressure was analyzed by the equation that describes processes of desorption from the electret surface accompanied with surface diffusion. In the second group after charging, the electret surface potential was measured with the time of storage for two months. The experimental results obtained show a significant change in the electret behaviour of the composite films after the incorporation of zeolite particles with different concentration into the HDPE matrix. It was established that the surface potential decay depends on the corona polarity and the particle concentration.