Structural parameter for estimating durability of composite materials with polymer components in strong electric fields

The purpose of the present work is to reveal and to substantiate the structural parameter for estimation of the durability of composite materials with polymeric components in strong electric fields. Rubbers filled with technical carbon are chosen as objects of research. They possess almost zero water absorption, resistance to aggressive media, high electrical and mechanical strengths, capability of acquiring practically any form, etc. Because of this, they are widely used in high-voltage electrophysics and electrical engineering. Composite materials are represented by an equivalent circuit of a series-parallel connection of a set of individual contacts conductive phase-dielectric-conductive phase formed by an electroconductive grid. The processes in the materials are considered on three hierarchical levels: individual contact conductive phase-dielectric-conductive phase, distribution of the set of individual contacts over their properties taking into account the dispersion of their parameters depending on the employed initial components, macrostructural level - the electricoconductive grid imbedded into a polymer matrix. As a result of our investigations, the structural parameter - the entropy of the textural parameter that can be used to estimate the durability of composite materials with polymer components in strong electric fields - has been chosen.