The Role of Solid Friction in Synthetic Dielectrics

Abstract

New synthetic dielectric materials, both of the ceramic and resinous type, exhibit, among other features, a high grade of homogeneity. This will not only affect the mechanical properties, the electrical breakdown strength and the dielectric losses due to layer mechanism favorably, but will reduce also losses due to dipole rotation. In case, namely, dipolar constituents rotate at all in the solid state, dissipation of energy will be caused by the solid friction, which has to be overcome. This latter, on the other hand, can be shown to be related directly to the imperfections of the material, thus indicating the beneficial effect on the dielectric loss angle of a homogeneous structure.