Abstract
The accelerated thermal ageing of CSPE (chlorosulfonated polyethylene) was carried out for 16.82, 50.45, and 84.09 days at $110^{\circ}C$, equivalent to 20, 60, and 100 years of ageing at $50^{\circ}C$ in nuclear power plants, respectively. As the accelerated thermally aged years increase, the insulation resistance and resistivity of the CSPE decrease, and the capacitance, relative permittivity and dissipation factor of those increase at the measured frequency, respectively. As the accelerated thermally aged years and the measured frequency increase, the phase degree of response voltage vs excitation voltage of the CSPE increase but the phase degree of response current vs excitation voltage decrease, respectively. As the accelerated thermally aged years increase, the apparent density, glass transition temperature and the melting temperature of the CSPE increase but the percent elongation and % crystallinity decrease, respectively. The differential temperatures of those are $0.013-0.037^{\circ}C$ and, $0.034-0.061^{\circ}C$ after the AC and DC voltages are applied to CSPE-0y and CSPE-20y, respectively; the differential temperatures of those are $0.011-0.038^{\circ}C$ and $0.002-0.028^{\circ}C$ after the AC and DC voltages are applied to CSPE-60y and CSPE-100y, respectively. The variations in temperature for the AC voltage are higher than those for the DC voltage when an AC voltage is applied to CSPE. It is found that the dielectric loss owing to the dissipation factor($tan{\delta}$) is related to the electric dipole conduction current. It is ascertained that the ionic (electron or hole) leakage current is increased by the partial separation of the branch chain of CSPE polymer as a result of thermal stress due to accelerated thermal ageing.
