Effect of AC and DC Voltages on Tracking and Erosion Resistance of HTV Silicone Rubber

This paper investigates the tracking and erosion resistance of high-temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber (SIR). The inclined plane test (IPT) was conducted using three different voltage types, namely alternating current (AC), negative direct current (-DC), and positive direct current (+DC), and these were compared in terms of eroded mass, erosion length, erosion depth, and time-to-failure. Additionally, temperature measurements of the samples were recorded using a thermal camera over a span of 6 hours. Furthermore, leakage current data were collected using LabVIEW. In the tests under AC voltage and negative DC voltage, all samples successfully withstood 6 hours. Under positive DC, only one specimen withstood the test, while the others failed prematurely. Positive DC resulted in the most severe erosion and mass loss, while AC demonstrated the highest resistance. These findings highlight the critical influence of voltage polarity on the long-term performance and reliability of silicone rubber insulators.