Self-Healing of Water Tree Damage of Double-Shell Microcapsules/XLPE Insulation Composite Material Insulation

In order to solve the problem of insulation performance degradation caused by water tree aging of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), a self-healing method of XLPE material based on microcapsule system was proposed. The repair material of water tree damage needs to react with water under the action of catalyst. In order to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of self-repair of water tree damage, a microcapsule sample with double-shell structure was designed. The results show that the double-shell microcapsules increase the crystallinity of the material and enhance the structural compactness of the material, thereby inhibiting the migration of carriers. When the microcapsule doping amount is 1.0 wt.%, the insulation performance of the material is enhanced. When the double-shell microcapsules are broken under the action of an electric field, the repair material enters the water tree under capillary action and reacts with the residual water in the water tree. The generated organic matter fills the water tree cavity and repairs the water tree damage area, thereby realizing the water tree self-healing of the composite material. The technology improves the performance analysis of self-healing materials and has a good research prospect in practical applications.