Dielectric recovery of electric arcs confined between PTFE and PA6,6 walls

Plastic ablation plays a key role in the quenching of arcs in low-voltage switchgear. Here, we compare experimentally the arc quenching capacity of polyamide 6,6 (PA6,6) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Using a set-up with a topology close to that of a hybrid breaker, we evaluate the impact of the plastic ablation on the current limitation during arcing as well as on the dielectric recovery after current interruption. Our results, supported with the calculations of the transport properties of vapors consisting of ablated PA6,6 and PTFE, demonstrate the superiority of PA6,6 for arc quenching in low-voltage applications.