Data for: "The Breakdown and Surface Characteristics of Polymer Interfaces Under HV Impulses"

This dataset includes raw and processed data for the characterisation of impulsive electrical breakdown across homogeneous polymer-polymer interfaces for five materials: PVC (polyvinylchloride); Delrin (polyoxymethylene); Torlon (polyamide-imide); Ultem (polyetherimide); and Perspex (polymethylmethacrylate). Includes the effects of material, rate-of-rise, and energisation polarity. 50 by 50 mm square samples were cut from sheets using the ZCC EMP02-040-A16-AP11-05C shoulder mill.

Four interfaces per pair of square samples had profilometry data recorded across four evenly-spaced evaluation lengths across each pair of contacting surfaces then processed using the motif characterisation method according to the ISO-12085 Geometric Product Specifications (GPS) international standard. Surface profiles were measured using the Accretech Handysurf 35+ manual profilometer for every sample subject to a different set of experimental conditions, along evaluation lengths of 5 mm at 0.6 mm/s.

In total, raw profilometry data includes 5 materials × 4 measurement locations × 4 interfaces per material × 2 polarity × 2 rates-of-rise = 320 primary profile curves, provided as plaintext .txt files direct from the profilometer using the CNOMO setting.

Interfacial breakdown voltage and current waveforms were collected by inducing interfacial breakdown across each pair of contacting surfaces assembled in atmospheric pressure laboratory air between sphere-plane electrodes, under ~2400 kV/μs and ~0.35 kV/μs HV impulses with breakdown occurring exclusively on the rising slope. A detailed description of the experimental system and methodology can be found in the associated paper (T. Wong et al., “The Breakdown and Surface Characteristics of Polymer Interfaces Under HV Impulses,” IEEE Trans. Dielectr. Electr. Insul., 2024.)

In total, raw breakdown data includes 5 materials × 2 polarity × 20 shots × 2 separate interfaces × 2 rates-of-rise = 800 sets of breakdown voltage and current oscillograms, provided as .csv files.

This dataset further includes a complete set of processed data, which includes 5 materials × 2 polarity × 2 interfaces × 2 rates-of-rise = 40 separate .xml files, one per tested interface. This includes equivalent motif parameters computed using profilometry data and impulse breakdown statistics arising from the fitting of 2-parameter Weibull distributions to breakdown voltages and times.