What is insulation paper?

Insulation paper is one of the important insulation materials for power equipment, electronic components, communication equipment, etc. It plays an important role in protecting electrical equipment and personal safety. In electrical equipment, insulation paper can prevent short circuit, leakage and other faults in electrical equipment, ensuring the normal operation of the equipment; in electronic components, insulation paper can protect components such as circuit boards and capacitors, and increase the service life of components; in communication equipment, insulation paper can protect equipment such as communication cables and optical fibers, ensuring the stability and reliability of communication. This article will introduce insulation paper from multiple aspects.

Main characteristics of insulation paper

‌High insulation resistance‌: Insulation paper has extremely high resistivity, which can effectively prevent current from passing through non-conductive paths and ensure the normal operation of electrical equipment and personnel safety‌.

‌Good heat resistance‌: Depending on the grade, insulation paper can maintain the stability of its physical and chemical properties at higher temperatures, avoiding insulation failure caused by temperature rise‌.

‌High mechanical strength‌: Insulation paper needs to be able to withstand certain mechanical stresses, such as stretching, compression and bending, to ensure structural integrity during equipment installation and operation‌.

‌Chemical stability‌: It can resist the erosion of chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and oils, and maintain long-term insulation performance‌.

Types of insulation paper

Here are some types of paper insulation:

1. Crepe Paper 

Crepe paper ‌is a special insulation material. It is mainly used in power equipment, such as transformers, high voltage cables. It is made of electrical insulation paper after wrinkling processing and has horizontal wrinkles. The wrinkles will be pulled apart when stretched. The thickness of the crepe paper is generally 0.05mm~0.12mm, and the elongation range is 5%~200%‌.

2. Kraft Paper

Kraft paper is another type of insulating paper and is made of wood pulp. It is versatile and affordable and features high strength.

Hence, it’s best suited for providing robust electrical insulation and is widely used in transformers and cables due to its exceptional dielectric properties.

3. Diamond Dotted Paper

DDP, also known as diamond dotted paper, is a high-performance insulation material widely used in oil-immersed power transformers, distribution transformers and other electrical equipment.

It uses cable paper or electrical insulation paper as the base material, and forms a unique insulation layer by coating special modified epoxy resin on the paper surface in a diamond shape. This design not only significantly improves the insulation performance, but also brings many advantages, making it occupy an important position in the field of electrical insulation.

4.Cable paper

Cable paper is a special paper material made of cellulose fiber and is used for the insulation layer and outer protective layer of wire and cable. Cable paper has unique insulation properties. It can withstand high temperature, high voltage and mechanical stress, so as to protect the normal operation of the cable line and extend the service life of the cable.

Application fields of insulation paper

The application of insulation paper covers almost all fields that require electrical insulation, including:

Power transformer: The insulation paper acts as an insulating layer between windings to prevent current short circuit.

Motors and generators: The insulation paper is used for slot wedge insulation, phase insulation and fixing and protection of winding ends.

Capacitor: The insulation paper acts as a dielectric material to improve the energy storage capacity and stability of capacitors.

Cable: The insulation paper acts as an inner and outer insulation layer to protect the conductor from the influence of the external environment and ensure the safety of current transmission.

Electronic components: Such as the insulating layer on the printed circuit board, which can prevent interference between circuits.

As an important electrical insulation material, insulation paper plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring the safe operation of electrical equipment. With the advancement of science and technology and the development of electrical equipment, the performance and application areas of insulation paper will continue to expand and improve. In the future, insulation paper will continue to develop in the direction of high performance, environmental protection and multi-function, providing a solid guarantee for the development of power, electronics, electrical and other fields.