Electrical Terms

Corona - More properly known as Partial Discharge - Low-level passage of high-voltage current through a gas, usually air, due to ionization of the air or gas. In the case of air, corona creates highly-active ozone, which can cause severe chemical damage to organic compounds and materials nearby. May be audible (a hiss) and visible (a blue glow). Corona Resistance - Or Voltage Endurance (similar terms) - Ability of the insulating material to withstand damage caused by voltage stress. Dielectric Strength -- Voltage required to puncture the material. May be Direct Current or Alternating Current (DC or AC), at many test conditions. Often measured by ASTM Standard D149. Dielectric Constant - Measures the capacity of the material to store energy relative to a vacuum. Generally, the lower the better for insulation use since it also measures how much AC leakage current can flow through the material. Often measured by ASIM D-150. Dissipation Factor - Relates to energy which can be lost in the insulating material due to AC current flow (capacitive current). Usually measured by ASTM D-150. Impulse Dielectric Strength - Ability to resist a very short pulse of high voltage, such as a lightning strike, with a duration usually on the order of 1 / 1,000,000 second rise time. Measured by ASTM D-3426. Resistivity - Or Conductivity (two sides of the same coin) -- Measures the current-carrying ability of an insulating material -as if treating the insulating material as a conductor. Measured by ASTM Test D-257. Other Terms

Breaking Elongation - Amount the material will stretch under tensile stress before breaking. Measured by ASTM D-828. Calender -- Pass paper between rollers at high-temperature and high pressures to increase density, properties, and surface smoothness. Usually used with high-quality papers. NOMEX papers, except for Types 411 and 419, have been calendered. Initial Tear Resistance - Ability of the material to resist tearing when a force is applied which tends to tear an edge of the material. Usually tested by ASTM D-1004. Power Frequency - frequency of the sine-wave power in Hertz (formerly referred to as cycles per second). Usually 60 Hz in the U.S., 50 Hz in Europe and parts of Asia, etc. Harmonics - Multiples of the power frequency of a power line, such as 120 Hz, 180 Hz, 600 Hz., etc. The higher the harmonic content, the higher the risk of damage to the equipment due to corona (partial discharge). Tear Propagation Strength - Measures the ease with which a tear which already exists can be further extended. Usually measured by TAPPI Test T-414, Elmendorf Test. Tensile Strength - The ability of the insulating material to resist straight line forces without breaking. Usually measured by ASTM D-828. Thermal Conductivity - Measures the speed with which heat is transmitted through the material. The higher the thermal conductivity of the insulation, the easier it is to cool the electrical equipment by transferring heat to the metal parts of the machine, or to the air.

Temperature Conversions C F 100 212 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 230 248 266 284 302 320 338 356 374 392 410 428 446 464 482 500

in .002 .051

Dimension Conversions mm mils 2 .003 .004 .005 .006 .007 .008 .009 .010 .015 .020 .025 .030 .050 .100 .200 .300 .400 .076 .102 .127 .152 .178 .203 .229 .254 .381 .51 .635 .762 1.27 2.54 5.08 7.62 10.2 25 30 50 100 200 300 400 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 15 20