EFFECT OF HUMIDITY AND INORQANIC FILLER ON THERMALLY STIMULATED CURRENT SPECTRA OF LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE

An additional humidity-induced TSE peak appears in medium temperature region, the LD-PE specimens were exposed to humid air for certain time, before or after poling, even then kept in vacuum of about 0% RH for 72h after poling. This peak can be associated with thermal release of trapped ions in amorphous-crystalline interface.An analysis on TSC spectma of LDPE specimens with inorganic filler, dried or wetted before poling suggests that the inorganic filler (kaolin with surface treatment) and absorbed water molecule in LDPE could be considered as electron accepter, the former as shallow trap of electron, the latter as deep trap of electron.