Proceedings of the 7th Intemational Conference on

Properties and Applications of Dielectric Materials

June 1-5 2003 Nagoya P4-2

Electrical Insulating Properties of Bamboo as a Material of Low Environment Load

Y Shiji* and N. Shimizu

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Meijo University,
Tempaku, Nagoya, 468-8502 Japan
E-mail : c302e005@ccmailg.meijo-u.ac.jp

Abstract: In recent years many measures are taken to.
reduce environmental load in various fields. Especially
development of materials of low environment load for
electrical energy field is considered to be urgent because
conventional materials used in power apparatus are not
decomposed in natural environment. For example, when
GFRP is scraped, glass fiber is not naturally
decomposed. We consider that bamboo fiber can be
used, if combined with solidified water, as a substitute
of glass fiber in electrical insulating system at cryogenic
region. Bamboo is used in several fields because it
excels in a manufacturing property. However, electrical
insulating properties of bamboo haven't been studied.
We studied electrical insulating properties of bamboo,
especially at low temperature.
INTRODUCTION
The specimen is a bamboo block (1 or 3mm x 1O m x
10"). The block was cut from a piece of bamboo
(Phyllostachys bambusoides) in three different
directions. The direction of thickness of the specimen
block is parallel to fiber (longitudinal), radial or
circumferentialdirection of cylindrical piece of bamboo.
The specimen configuration and directions of cutting
are shown in Fig. 1. A schematic of experimental set-up
is shown in Fig.2. The specimen was mounted in a
sphere-plate electrode system and whole system was
immersed in liquid nitrogen (77K). AC voltage of 60 Hz
was applied to the sphere electrode while the plate
electrode was grounded. The direction of specimen
thickness coincided with the direction of electric field.
The applied voltage was AC ramp voltage with rising
rate of 100 Vrmshec. After voltage application the
specimens were observed with an optical microscope.

Bamboo is characterized by its excellent elasticity, split Result

property and water absorption property. Bamboo is
distributed widely in warm and wet area, especially in Results of the experiments are shown in Table.1. AC
Asia [l]. It grows much faster than a tree, therefore it breakdown occurred only when voltage was applied to
tends to encroach upon forest area. In recent years the fiber direction. In the circumferential and radial
attention is paid to bamboo in several fields. For directions, surface discharge occurred at 32 kVrms
example, it is studied to use bamboo as a substitute of without breakdown. AC breakdown strength of each
wood in building materials, to use bamboo's extract as direction is shown in Fig.3. FigA is a microscopic
an antibacterial material and to use bamboo's charcoal photograph of the specimen of the fiber (1") direction
as a deodorant or a desiccant. which brokedown at 15 kVrms. Breakdown path was
always located in the vessel.
On the other hand, in electrical engineering fields,
development of a power apparatus at low temperature
and superconducting power apparatus is actively
conducted. GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic) is
usually used as an electrical insulating material at low
temperature, but it is pointed out that glass fiber is not
naturally decomposed, therefore environmentally
unfriendly. Fiber (longitudinal) \r
direction Radial direction
We consider bamboo is one of promising candidates of 3"
material of low environment load, and have studied its
electrical insulating property at low temperature. In this or
10 mm
paper, AC breakdown characteristics of bamboo in 10" I"
liquid nitrogen and effect of water absorption on them Circumferentialdirection
will be discussed.

EFFECT OF FIELD DIRECTION ON AC

BREAKDOWN 3mmorlmm
Experimental Fig. 1 Specimens and cutting directions

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 1 r

Specimen Liquid Gtrogen

Table.1 Result of the experiments IExperimental

I Direction of applied
voltage (specimen
thickness)
Fiber (3 mm)
ICircumferential (3 mm) I
1 I
Numbers of
specimens

testtd
1o I
Numbersof
specimens
brok;down

0 I
In this experiment, the specimen of the fiber direction
with lmm thickness was used. Firstly the specimen was
degassed by rotary pump for more than 7days. Then the
specimens were immersed in water (tap water) for a
certain period. Water content was calculated by equation
( 1) from weight of the specimen.
I Radial(3mm) I 10 I 0 I -
'W = {(wx WO) /WO} x 100 (1)
I Fiber(1mm) I 10 I 10 I W ['YO]:Water content
W
' x [g]: Weight after water absorbed
Icircumferential (1 mm) I 1o I 0 I 'WO [g]: Weight after degassing process
' h e weight of the specimen was measured with
electronic balance. We assume that water content of the
degassed specimen is 0 %. In the as-received specimen,
water content was less than 10 YO.Fig.5 shows water
content as a fimction of immersing time in water. It
seems that 12-24 hours immersing is enough to make
ihe specimen saturated with water. In the saturated
specimen, water content was about 110 'YO.Here after,
ihe immersion time was fixed at 24 hours. After 24
1 1 0 ~ ~immersion,
s the specimen was taken out fiom
water to the air, and kept for a certain period in the air at
room temperature. In the air, water vaporized fkom the
specimen surface. We control water content in the
specimen by adjusting the time duration of keeping the
specimen in the air. Voltage application was carried out
in liquid nitrogen; the method is the same with that
imentioned above.
1 I
F C R F C R :Result
(Thickness 3") (Thickness lmm) .AC breakdown strength as a function of water content is
F: fiber direction, C: circumferential direction, :shown in Fig.6. A black circle in Fig.6 shows average,
R radial direction ;and error bars show standard deviations around the
,average. AC breakdown strength increases with
Fig.3 AC breakdown strength in each direction
increasing water content. A microscopic photograph of

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the breakdown path in the degassed specimen is shown
in Fig.7. In the degassed specimens, the breakdown path
was mainly located in non vessel part. Fig.8 shows the
breakdown path in the specimen of 55 % water content.
In the specimens of 55 % water content, breakdown
always occurred in the vessel. In the specimens of
saturated water content (110 %), the breakdown path
was located both in vessel and non vessel part with even
probability. Positions and shapes of AC breakdown path
are summarized in Table.2. In the water saturated
specimen, 6 specimens had the breakdown path in non
vessel part, and a crack was observed in all these 6
specimens. Fig.9 shows a typical crack in the water
saturated specimen. In 3 specimens out of the 6
specimens, the crack involved the vessel. However, the
other 3 did not. Therefore we consider that the vessel
was not the starting point of AC breakdown. The crack Fig.7 Breakdown path in the degassed
may be produced by the process of breakdown. specimen (breakdown at 14 kVrms)

120 I I

Time (hours)
Fig.5 Water content to time as a h c t i o n of Fig.8 Breakdown path in the specimen of
immersing time in water 55 YOwater content (breakdown at 16 kVrms)

Water content(%) Fig.9 Crack observed in the specimen of saturated

( 110%) water content (breakdown at 24 kVms)
Fig.6 AC breakdown strength as a h c t i o n of
water content

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 Table2 Position and shape of AC breakdown path was not observed in the circumferential or radial
direction. This is because that direction of applied
voltage is perpendicular to the vessel.

SPec;ien

As
-receive
Number
of

10
rokendo
tested n the vessel
4
Numbers of
Numbers o specimens
rokendown
Numbers
of
in non specimen!
vessel part
cracked
A,C breakdown strength increases with increasing water
content. In the degassed specimens, some kind of gap
may be generated between fibers during the degassing
process by which water is taken away fiom the vessel.
After immersion in liquid nitrogen, the vessel and gap
are filled with liquid nitrogen. The gap filled with liquid
nitrogen is considered to be often the starting point of
P C breakdown. This is the reason why AC breakdown
occurs mainly in non vessel part in the degassed
slpecimens.
Degassed 14 We can consider that the vessel and gaps absorb water
when the specimen is immersed in water. In the
specimens of saturated water content, the vessels and
the gaps generated by the degassing process are filled
water with water, and then cooled down to 77K, much below
content fireezing point of water by immersing in liquid nitrogen.
S'othat the vessels and the gaps are filled with ice when
Saturated voltage applied. The breakdown strength of ice is much
7
6 higher than liquid nitrogen; the ice eliminates the
(crack 2y (crack 6) 8
water weakness of vessel and gap. Because weak points were
lot crack 5 )
content vanished, AC breakdown did not always occur in the
I I vessel and sometimes produced the crack.

kn the specimens of 55 % water content, water is

gpdually taken away fiom the vessel by vaporization.
bundle-sheath sieve tube Since the vessel became the weak point again,
blreakdown occurred in the vessel. Therefore we can say
that existence of water has a great influence on AC
blreakdown characteristics in bamboo.

<:ONCLUSION

We studied electrical insulating properties of bamboo

FiglO. Structure of bamboo [2]
DISCUSSION
Concerning the effect of field direction on AC
breakdown of bamboo immersed in liquid nitrogen,
breakdown always occurred in the fiber direction.
Additionally in the as-received specimen, the
breakdown path was always located in the vessel. Fig. 10
shows structure of bamboo [2]. The vessel is a path of
water, and a hollow tube when it does not contain water.
When immersed in liquid nitrogen, the vessel may be
filled with liquid nitrogen. The present experimental
results indicate that the vessel filled with liquid nitrogen
is a weak point for electrical breakdown. Breakdown
immersed in liquid nitrogen. The results obtained are
summarized as follows.
1. AC breakdown occurs when direction of applied
voltage is the fiber direction. Vessel of bamboo,
which is parallel to the fiber direction, is the weak
point for electrical breakdown.
2:. AC breakdown strength increases with increasing
water content. This result is well explained by the
model that the vessel is filled with ice, so that the
weak point is eliminated.
31. Position and shape of breakdown path is strongly
influenced by water content.
ItETERENCES
[l] H. Muroi, "Yuuyou Take-rui Zusetu -tokuni keitai
cyobi riyou-" in Japanese, Rokugatusya, 1962.
[2] I. Syunpei, "Syokubutu Sosikigaku" in Japanese,
IJtida Rokakuhosinsya, 1964.

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