Intrinsically self-healing ethylene-anisylpropylene copolymer as a candidate material for innovative electrical insulation layers

A novel ethylene-anisylpropylene copolymer was tested as a candidate material for intrinsically self-healing electrical insulation layers. In addition to the thermal and mechanical properties, the dielectric properties were studied before and after induced mechanical and electrical damage to the specimens. The material was tested according to the standards for electrical insulating materials, which require a detailed characterization of the dielectric properties. Nonstandardized tests of self-healing were also included in the testing. The results revealed that the tested material exhibited excellent dielectric parameters and reasonable thermal and mechanical properties. The self-healing tests of the material revealed a 38 % efficiency for recovery of the mechanical properties after the first damage, and this remained almost unchanged after the second and third damage. The first initial results also indicated that the material recovered, to some extent, its electrical insulation properties even after electrical breakdown. By comparing the dielectric strength of the pristine and self-healed specimens, a promising self-healing efficiency of 63 % was determined.