G - 1 of 9

Application of Epoxy Impregnating Resins

John Phillips
Managing Director Epoxylite, Division of Sterling Technology Ltd Manchester

Introduction
Varnishes have been used in the electrical industry throughout the last century, whilst in the past 50 years impregnating resins have been developed and applied in the manufacture and repair of electric motors, generators and transformers in increasing volumes. Varnishes are derived from solvented coatings technology and in reality should be considered as after treatments to electrical insulation. Impregnating resins may be defined as liquid thermosetting plastics which undergo an irreversible chemical reaction during cure, whereby the liquid is converted to a solid. They can be designed to become an integral part of an electrical insulation system. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate how epoxy impregnating resins are selected and applied to influence and enhance the operating performance of rotating electrical machines and transformers in service.

Insulation Failure
Premature failure of electrical insulation is primarily caused by excessive stress on insulation structures. There are four types of stress which may be effective either individually or as interrelated forces: Mechanical Thermal Environmental Electrical Accordingly, in order to maintain the integrity of the insulation structure and consequently extend service life, it is essential to provide optimum protection from all stresses which are encountered during normal operating conditions.

G - 2 of 9

Function of Impregnating Resin

The function of an impregnating resin is fourfold, and may be described as follows: 1. ensure adequate adhesion and protect against excessive movement of the insulation structure caused by mechanical and electro-mechanical stresses. 2. reduce thermal stress by improving heat transfer and thermal endurance of the insulation structure. 3. fill, seal, and protect the insulation structure against the effects of destructive service environments.

4. provide a composite insulation structure with optimum dielectric properties after impregnation and cure. Compatibility of an insulation system is achieved by using a correctly engineered combination of insulation materials, impregnating resin and process techniques.

Chemistry of Epoxy Impregnating Resins

(a) Two Component Systems Impregnating resins comprising bisphenol A epoxy base resin cured with amine hardeners find little widespread application due to inherently short working lives, although this chemistry is often used beneficially in applications such as in rapid processing of low voltage stators and armatures. Impregnants based on bisphenol A/F or cycloaliphatic epoxy resins mixed with anhydride hardeners are commonly used to VPI process mica insulation in the manufacture of medium and high voltage motors and generators. An accelerator is either included in the resin formulation or contained in the mica insulation to enable adequate cure to be completed within an acceptable timescale at elevated temperatures. Variants of these accelerated epoxy anhydride resin impregnants containing inert fillers to modify rheology and improve thermal conductivity are also currently used in the manufacture of low voltage motors and transformers. Essentially, all anhydride cured epoxy resins are two component systems and therefore have a limited shelf life at normal ambient temperatures. They are also hygroscopic and in large bulk, require low temperature closed storage to contain the chemical reaction and maintain stability.

G - 3 of 9 (b) Single Component Systems Epoxy impregnating resins based on sophisticated Lewis Acid latent catalyst chemistry have been developed over the last two decades. Formulation of these impregnants has been refined to include the use of bisphenol F, and epoxy novolac in conjunction with bisphenol A base resin components to produce 100% solids resins and also aqueous emulsions. This chemistry offers the advantage of long term storage stability at ambient temperatures, low toxicity, low emissions, excellent cured properties and the versatility to process electrical equipment using a wide range of application techniques. Properties of epoxy impregnating resins based on this latent catalyst chemistry are compared to those of other impregnants in the following tables:

Typical Processing Properties of Impregnating Resins

Polyester Resin Monomer VOC Content Toxicity Flashpoint Viscosity @ 25C Cure Cycle Emissions % LD 50 C mPas h/C % Styrene 25 30 5000 33 200 2 / 150 10 20 Polyester Resin VT 25 30 5000 54 57 250 2 / 150 10 20 Polyester Resin DAP 20 25 770 > 150 500 2 / 150 5 10 MF Resin nil nil > 5000 > 150 500 - 10000 2 / 150 <3 Epoxy Resin nil nil > 5000 > 150 300 5000 3 / 160 <1 Epoxy Emulsion nil nil > 5000 > 150 < 100 3 / 160 <1

Typical Cured Properties of Impregnating Resins

Polyester Resin Monomer Cure Shrinkage Thermal Index Weight Loss Bond Strength ( HCoil @ 25C ) Bond Strength ( HCoil @100C ) Moisture / Chemical Resistance % C C N N Styrene 5 - 10 180 200 150 - 200 150 60 ++ Polyester Resin VT 5 - 10 180 - 200 150 - 200 150 60 ++ Polyester Resin DAP 5 - 10 < 210 155 120 40 ++ MF Resin nil 2-3 200 < 155 180 100 ++ Epoxy Resin nil 1-2 180 180 - 200 300 150 +++ Epoxy Emulsion nil 1-2 180 180 200 125 +++

G - 4 of 9

Selection of Epoxy Impregnating Resin

Single component epoxy impregnating resins are preferentially selected for use in specific applications for the following properties: Storage stability at ambient temperature Variable viscosity and rheology High adhesive strength Thermal endurance Low cure shrinkage and good dielectric properties in MV and HV insulation systems Excellent moisture and chemical resistance In addition, the use of 100% solids epoxy resins and epoxy emulsions is increasingly considered for environmental reasons, namely, low toxicity and vapour concentrations in the workplace, together with low emissions during cure.

Application of Epoxy Impregnating Resins

Examples of applications in which epoxy impregnating resins can be advantageously used include: Medium and High voltage rotating machines Low voltage motors and generators Hermetic motors Open ventilated transformers Traction motor repair Re-treatment of electric motors (a) Medium and High voltage rotating machines Insulation structures of medium and high voltage motor and generator coils basically comprise mica tapes processed in resin by vacuum pressure impregnation techniques, heat cured to give a solid dielectric composite. Factors which influence the rate and ability of impregnating resins to penetrate layers of mica tape during the VPI process are: Resin viscosity Vacuum and Pressure levels/times Mica tape construction and method of application Compatibility of the complete system is essential to achieve acceptable cured dielectric structures.

G - 5 of 9 Storage stable, single component epoxy impregnating resins are ideally used in this application, since they have low vapour pressures for vacuum processing together with low shrinkage during cure. This combination of properties assists in minimising voids in the cured insulation, which could lead to poor conduction of heat and high levels of partial discharge. Positive coil bonding and resistance to degradation from destructive environments are also achieved. Typical process parameters for impregnation of film-backed mica tape insulation of machines from 3.3kV to 13.8kV with a single component epoxy resin are illustrated by the table below:

Operating Voltage of Machine Process Parameter Stator Temperature Resin Temperature Dry Vacuum Level Dry Vacuum Time Wet Vacuum Time Pressure Level Pressure Time Cure Temperature Cure Time C C mbar min min bar min C hours 3.3kV 60 30 0.05 0.2 90 5 6 150 165 12 16 6.6kV 60 30 0.05 0.2 120 5 6 210 165 12 - 16 11kV 65 30 0.05 0.2 180 5 6 300 165 16 13.8kV 65 30 0.05 0.2 210 5 6 360 165 16

(b) Low voltage motors and generators Application methods range from dip, trickle, and dip-roll to VPI depending upon machine design and production requirements. Formulation of the epoxy impregnating resin is adapted to application technique and also the performance needs of the motor or generator. An epoxy impregnating resin is normally selected for use only in specific applications for which good mechanical strength and moisture and chemical resistance are required. In addition, rheology modification using inert fillers can also be readily attained to give resin retention in windings after impregnation and cure, which enhances heat transfer and thermal durability. Major global manufacturers of low voltage generators in the output range of 250 kVA to 2000 kVA utilise single component epoxy resins to impregnate both stators and rotors to provide optimum mechanical strength and protection in harsh operating environments. However, rapid cure single component epoxy impregnating resins for dip-roll application have also recently been developed to offer the advantage of low emissions and cost effective processing.

G - 6 of 9 These resins are storage stable but can provide total process times of only 30-40 minutes using novel dip-roll application technology, in which cure is achieved by infrared heating. Typical process schedules for LV stators are shown in the following table:

Stator Diameter (mm)

50 Stator pre-heat Stator temp Resin Temp Stator dip time Cure at 180 C min C C sec min 3 110 21 5 30

50 3 110 21 5 30

60 5 110 21 10 30

60 5 110 21 10 30

150 6 110 21 15 30

150 6 110 21 15 30

Final stator weight Stator weight Resin retained Resin wastage

g g g %

2075 2003 72 0

2085 2015 70 0

5226 5108 118 0

5244 5124 120 0

13186 13016 170 0

13176 13004 172 0

(c) Hermetic motors Solvent solutions of epoxy-phenolic resins with up to 50% VOC content have been traditionally used to process and protect hermetic motor insulation. More recently, water based varnishes incorporating co-solvent solution chemistry to reduce VOC contents have become widely used. Advances in film-forming emulsion technology have resulted in the opportunity to formulate single component, zero VOC content, epoxy emulsions utilising the same latent catalyst chemistry as the 100% solids epoxy impregnants, but without the necessity for the addition of co-solvents to maintain phase equilibrium and to assist in substrate wetting. In conjunction with careful selection of surfactants, a reduction in the surface tension of these water thinnable emulsions can be obtained without undesirable side effects such as loss of adhesion or poor inter-coat adhesion. A continuous film of 20 - 25 microns coalesces from the emulsion after application by dip or dip-roll; cure is affected at 165 C, and the solid epoxy coating protects the primary insulation from degradation by Freon and KLEA/mineral oil refrigerants to meet the requirements of UL 984A test specification.

G - 7 of 9 (d) Open ventilated transformers Insulation structures of open ventilated transformers are commonly treated by VPI processing in single component epoxy impregnating resin. Selection of the epoxy resin impregnant is based on the requirement for good thermal durability, adhesive strength and moisture resistance. Sealed insulation structures are obtained by processing with rheologically modified formulations to enhance thermal endurance and eliminate ingress of moisture. Typically, traction chokes and transformers which must operate at elevated temperatures in normally humid and wet or marine environments benefit from treatment of the insulation with epoxy impregnants. (e) Repair of traction motors Traction motors have been manufactured using a variety of insulation systems over many years. Fundamental performance requirements of the insulation system for this exacting application may be listed as follows: 220 C temperature rating for resistance to long term thermal degradation Superior mechanical strength at elevated temperatures Flexibility and resilience within the total insulation structure Good resistance to contaminants, in particular moisture and cleaning fluids A single component epoxy novolac impregnating resin VPI processed in combination with a specifically engineered insulation construction exhibits superior results to those achieved by most alternative insulation systems on thermal endurance tests. The cycle used for comparative coil testing is given as follows: Age at 275 C for 24 hours + vibration at RT for 1 hour + 48 hours at 98% relative humidity and 50 C + inter-turn and voltage test whilst wet after the humidity cycle Total number of coils tested per system = 20 Total number of test cycles per system = 10 Failure rate lowest for epoxy novolac system = 7% Additionally, accelerated ageing trials on coils with and without an applied voltage of 2kv AC rms using weight loss results extrapolated to 20000h as an indication of degradation, demonstrate that the epoxy novolac insulation system can withstand temperature and voltage stress equal to a service temperature of 220 C, with short term excursions above this temperature being possible. Statistical analysis of the service performance of DC traction motor field coils, inter-pole coils and armatures rewound and VPI processed over a 7 year period confirms that the

G - 8 of 9 level of rework/rewind and premature failure is lower than that previously experienced with other insulation systems. (f) Re-treatment of electric motors The insulation of any electrical rotating machine will degrade in service, the rate of degradation being dependant on the type of insulation system and the operating service conditions. A gradual deterioration of the insulation occurs as contaminants are trapped on the surface and cracks and fissures propagate from the surface into the insulation structure itself. This degradation results in reduced dielectric properties, in particular insulation resistance. Assuming that the basic insulation structure of an electric motor is undamaged and dielectrically acceptable, a re-treatment procedure will assist in extending service life. Following a cleaning and drying programme, further dielectric testing is normally performed including measurement of loss tangent and capacitance for medium and high voltage machines. However, even after a thorough cleaning procedure, contaminants can remain on the surface and within the insulation structure. Single component epoxy resin impregnants are tolerant to all of these residual contaminants, and can also successfully penetrate, coat and adhere to the majority of old insulation structures without long term detriment. VPI processing with epoxy impregnating resin fills and seals all voids, which on medium and high voltage machines can reduce thermal problems by consolidating de-laminated insulation.

G - 9 of 9 The following graph of tangent delta measurements versus unit stator volts for an 11kV re-treated stator illustrates how service life can be extended without the need to implement a costly rewind.

450 400 350

tan delta x10?

300 250 200 150 100 50 0

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Before
After

unit stator volts

Summary
Identification and consideration of process and performance requirements for any electric motor, generator or transformer directly influences the selection of insulation materials, impregnating resin and processing techniques. Single component epoxy impregnating resins and emulsions can be advantageously used in correctly engineered insulation systems to provide superior protection from all types of stress encountered during service, resulting in enhanced reliability and performance of electrical equipment in many diverse applications.