WACKER Presents New Silicone Coating for the First Time

WACKER Chemical Group, headquartered in Munich, Germany, will present a new, solvent-free silicone coating for electronic insulators for the first time at the 2012 International Large Grid Conference (CIGRE). This single-component emulsion, branded POWERSIL® 570 PLUS, can be cross-linked to form a hydrophobic silicone coating that can be used to improve the reliability and fail-safety of outdoor, high-voltage insulators. This year's International Power Grid Conference will be held in Paris, France, from August 27th to 31st.

Insulators coated on the surface with POWERSIL® 570 PLUS are undergoing salt spray testing. The new silicone coating developed by Wacker Chemie AG, headquartered in Munich, Germany, does not contain tin, is solvent-free and has long-lasting corrosion resistance, and is suitable for outdoor medium and high-voltage equipment. Ceramic and glass insulators are often used for outdoor open-air cables. However, in the offshore areas and in industrial areas with serious air pollution, these insulators will soon become dirty, leading to serious safety problems. Wet dirt, dust, and deposited salts can affect their insulation function, resulting in discharge, and even flashover of the soil. In order to avoid such undesirable situations, ceramic and glass insulators must be cleaned regularly - this is a time-consuming and expensive matter.

The WACKER chemical group headquartered in Munich, Germany, has been supplying specialty silicone coatings (series brands: POWERSIL®) for ceramic and glass insulators in medium and high voltage applications for many years. Silicone not only has excellent insulation function, but also has extremely high hydrophobicity. Even if the insulator has accumulated dirt, it will not lose the hydrophobic effect. Therefore, the organic silicon coating can effectively prevent the formation of the moisture layer and avoid the formation of the moisture layer. The current leakage, dry belt discharge, insulator skirt laps, and even flashover and other common flash phenomenon.

The POWERSIL® 570 PLUS product from WACKER is the first insulator coating produced on the world market based on patented technology for silicon-in-water emulsions. This ready-to-use product is solvent-free and does not contain tin components. The emulsion coating exhibits excellent shear bond strength and very good spray results. The product only needs to be brushed once to reach the required thickness.

POWERSIL® 570 PLUS requires no adhesion promoters to adhere to ceramic and glass substrates and has excellent hydrophobic properties. Surface insulators coated with POWERSIL® 570 PLUS withstand the 1000-hour salt spray test specified in the DIN IEC 62217 standard. This test is regarded as the most important safety test basis for medium- and high-voltage electronic insulation materials for outdoor use.