Astm D877-87

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Designation: D 877 87 (Reapproved 1989)


AMERICAN SOCIETY fOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
Method 5702— Faaetal Test
Method Sti.-ica.Ti No. 79tb
1916 R»c« St.. Philadelphia. Pa. 1910J
Rapnnlad from the Annuel Boe* (9 ASTM StanOenie. Copyripht ASTM
It not luted in the current combined indei. wet appear m the next edition.

Standard Test Method for


Dielectric Breakdown Voltage of Insulating Liquids Using
Disk Electrodes i
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 877; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (t) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This method has been approvedfor use by agencies of the Department of Defense andfor listing in the DoD Index of Specifications and
Standards.

1. Scope D 1816 Test Method for Dielectric Breakdown Voltage of


1.1 This test method covers a referee and a routine Insulating Oils of Petroleum Origin Using VDE
procedure for determining the dielectric breakdown voltage Electrodes3
of insulating liquids. These procedures are applicable to D2225 Methods of Testing Silicone Fluids Used for
liquid petroleum oils, hydrocarbons, and askarels commonly Electrical Insulation2
used as insulating and cooling mediums in cables, trans¬ 2.2 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
formers, oil circuit breakers, and similar apparatus. The Standard:
referee procedure, with modifications, is suitable for testing No. 4 Measurement of Voltage in Dielectric Test4
silicone fluids (see Methods D 2225). The referee procedure
is also suitable for testing alkylbenzenes. The suitability of 3. Significance and Use
either the referee or the routine procedure for testing liquids 3.1 The dielectric breakdown voltage of an insulating
having viscosities exceeding 900 cSt (mm2/s) (5000 SUS) at liquid is of importance as a measure of the liquid’s ability to
40'C (104*F) has not been determined. withstand electric stress without failure. It serves to indicate
1.2 This test method is recommended for acceptance tests the presence of contaminating, agents, such as water, dirt,
on unprocessed insulating liquids received from vendors in moist cellulosic fibers, or conducting particles in the liquid,
tank cars, tank trucks, and drums. It may also be used for the one or more of which may be present in significant concen-
routine testing of liquids from power systems apparatus rated trations when low dielectric breakdown values are found by
230 kV and below. test. However, a high dielectric breakdown voltage does not
1.3 This test method is not recommended for testing indicate the absence of all contaminants; it may merely
filtered, degassed, and dehydrated oil prior to and during the indicate that the concentrations of contaminants that are
filling of power systems apparatus rated above 230 kV, or for present in the liquid between the electrodes are not large
testing samples of such oil from apparatus after filling. Test enough to deleteriously affect the average breakdown voltage
Method D 1816 is more suitable for, and is recommended of the liquid when tested by this method. See Appendix X 1 .
for, testing such oils.
1 .4 Both the SI and inch-pound units are equally accept- 4. Apparatus
able.
1 .5 This standard may invoke hazardous materials, oper¬
ations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to

4.1 Transformer The desired test voltage may be most
readily obtained by a step-up transformer energized from a
variable low-voltage commercial power frequency source.
address all of the safety problems associated with its use. It is The transformer and controlling element shall be of such size
the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish and design that, with the test specimen in the circuit, the
appropriate safety and health practices and determine the crest factor (ratio of maximum to mean effective) of the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 60-Hz test voltage shall not differ by more than ±5 % from
that of a sinusoidal wave over the upper half of the range of
2. Referenced Documents test voltage. The crest factor may be checked by means of an
oscilloscope, a sphere-gap, or a peak-reading voltmeter in
2.1 ASTM Standards: conjunction with a root-mean-square voltmeter. Where the
D484 Specification for Hydrocarbon Drycleaning wave form cannot be determined conveniently, a trans¬
Solvents2 former having a rating of not less than Vi kVA at the usual
D 923 Methods of Sampling Electrical Insulating Liquids3 breakdown voltage shall be used. Transformers of larger
kilovolt-ampere capacity may be used, but in no case should
the short-circuit current in the specimen circuit be outside
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of .ASTM Committee D-27 on the range of 1 to 10 mA/kv of applied voltage. This
Electrical Insulating Liquids and Gases and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee D27.05 on Electrical Test.
limitation of current may be accomplished by the use of a
Current edition approved Feb. 27. 1987. Published April 1987. Originally
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2 Discontinued; see 1984 Annual Book
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published as D 877 46 T. Last previous edition D 877 84a.
of ASTM Standards. Vol 05.01. 4
Available from The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., 345
3 Annual
Book of ASTM Standards. Vol 10.03. E. 47th St. New York, NY 10017.

i
# D 877
suitable external series resistor or by the designed reactance 7. Adjustment and Care of Electrodes and Test Cup
of the transformer. 7.1 Electrode Spacing— The spacing of the electrodes
4.2 Circuit-Interrupting Equipment—The test transformer during tests shall be 2.5 mm or 0.100 in. This shall be
primary circuit shall be protected by an automatic circuit- determined with a standard round gage of 2.5 ± 0.01 mm or
breaking device capable of opening in 3 cycles or less on the 0.100 ± 0.0005 in., or flat steel “go” and “no-go” gages
current produced by breakdown of the test specimen. A having thicknesses of 2.49 and 2.51 mm or 0.0995 and
5-cyde breaker may be used if the short-circuit current as
described in 4.1 does not exceed 0.2 A. The current-sensing 0.1005 in., respectively. The spacing shall be rechecked
element that trips the circuit breaker should operate when following any polishing, wiping, or cleaning operation in
the specimen-circuit current is in the range of 2 to 20 mA. A which the cup is disassembled or the electrodes disturbed,
prolonged flow of current at the time of breakdown causes and at the beginning of each day’s testing.
carbonization of the liquid and pitting and heating of the 7.2 Cleaning—The electrodes and the cup shall be wiped
electrodes, and thereby increases the electrode and test cup clean with dry, lint-free tissue paper or a clean dry chamois.
maintenance and time of testing. It is important to avoid touching the electrodes or the

4.3 Voltage-Control Equipment The rate of voltage rise
shall be 3 kV/s ± 20 %. Voltage control may be secured by a
cleaned gage with the fingers or with portions of the tissue
paper or chamois that have been in contact with the hands.
motor-driven variable-ratio-autotransformer. Preference After adjustment of the gap spacing, the cup shall be rinsed
should be given to equipment having an approximately with a dry hydrocarbon solvent, such as kerosine or Stoddard
straight-line voltage-time curve over the desired operating solvent.5 A low-boiling solvent should not be used as its
range. Motor drive is preferred to manual drive because of rapid evaporation may cool the cup, causing moisture
the difficulty of maintaining a reasonably uniform rate- condensation. If this occurs, the cup should be warmed
of-voltage rise with the latter. The rate-of-voltage rise may be slightly to evaporate the moisture before using it. Care shall
calculated from measurements of the time required to raise be taken to avoid touching the electrodes or the inside of the
the voltage between two prescribed values. When motor- cup after cleaning. After thorough cleaning, the cup shall be
driven equipment is used, the speed control rheostat should
be calibrated in terms of rate-of-voltage rise for the test flushed with new, dry, filtered liquid of the type being tested,
(preferably degassed oil if the cup is being used for testing
transformer used.

4.4 Voltmeter The voltage shall be measured by a
method that fulfills the requirements of IEEE Standard No.
4, giving rms values, preferably by means of:
oils). A voltage breakdown test shall be made on a sample of
this liquid in the manner specified in this method. If the
breakdown voltage is in the proper range for liquid in this
4.4.1 A voltmeter connected to the secondary of a sepa¬ good condition, the test cup shall be considered as properly
rate potential transformer, or prepared for testing other samples. If a lower value is
'
4.4.2 A voltmeter connected to a well-designed tertiary obtained, the cup shall again be thoroughly cleaned and the
coil in the test transformer, or test repeated with a clean dry liquid.
4.4.3 A voltmeter connected to the low-voltage side of the
testing transformer if the measurement error can be main¬ —
7.3 Daily Use At the beginning of each day’s testing, the
electrodes shall be examined for pitting and contamination.
tained within the limit specified in 4.5. They should be repolished if pitting is severe. Carbon or dirt

4.5 Accuracy The combined accuracy of the voltmeter
and voltage divider circuit should be such that measurement
should be wiped off, and the gap setting checked. The cup
shall be flushed, and tested with a clean dry liquid as
error does not exceed 5 % at the rate-of-voltage rise specified described in 7.2.
in 4.3.
5, Electrodes

7.4 Polishing of Electrodes When examination of elec¬
trodes shows minor scratching or pitting, the electrodes
should be removed from the test cup and polished by buffing
5.1 The electrodes shall be polished brass disks 25 mm or with jeweler’s rouge using a soft cloth or soft buffing wheel.
1 in. in diameter, and at least 3 mm or ‘/s in. thick, with (Resurfacing may be necessary in order to remove deep pit
square edges. marks or edge damage.) Care must be taken in resurfacing or
in polishing to ensure that the electrode faces remain
6. Test Cup perpendicular to the axis and that the edges do not become
6.1 A test cup having rigidly mounted electrodes with rounded. All residue fiom the buffing must be removed
parallel faces and axes in a coincident horizontal line shall be before the electrodes are reinstalled in the test cup. This can
used. The cup shall be constructed so that no part of it is less be accomplished by repeated wiping with lint-free tissue
than 13 mm or V2 in. from any part of the test electrode disk. paper saturated with a suitable solvent (such as petroleum
The total leakage and charging current of the cup, when ether), followed by solvent rinsing or ultrasonic cleaning.
filled with a good grade of oil, shall be less than 200 pA at 20 After the electrodes have been reinstalled in the test cup,
kV, 60 Hz. It shall be made of a material of high dielectric
clean and adjust spacing in accordance with 7.1 and 7.2.
strength, and shall not be attacked by any of the cleaning or
test liquids. It shall not absorb moisture or the cleaning and
test liquids. The top of the cup should be at least 25 mm or 1

7.5 Storage of Test Cup When not in use, the cup, if
used for referee tests, shall be stored filled with a new, dry,
in. above the top of the electrodes. The cup shall be designed
to permit easy removal of the electrodes for cleaning and 5 See ASTM Specification D 484, for Hydrocarbon Drycleaning Solvents,
polishing, and to permit easy adjustment of the gap spacing. Annual Book of ASTSt Standards, Vol 05.01.

2
D 877
filtered liquid of the type being tested, and tightly covered. consistency as specified in 1 1.3. If the five values meet this
criterion, their average shall be reported as the dielectric
8. Sampling breakdown voltage of the sample. If they do not meet this
8.1 A sample of the liquid to be tested shall be obtained criterion, one breakdown on each of five additional cup
with the sampling apparatus applicable to the type of liquid fillings shall be made, and the average of the ten breakdowns
as specified in accordance with Methods D 923. The sample shall be reported as the dielectric breakdown voltage of the
shall be taken in a dry, clean bottle that shall be tightly sealed sample. No breakdown shall be discarded.
and shielded from light until ready to be tested (Note 1). 11.2 Routine Testing— When it is desired to deter¬
Prior to starting the test, the sample shall be inspected for the mine the dielectric breakdown voltage of a liquid on a
presence of moisture, sludge, metallic particles, or other routine basis, five breakdowns may be made on one cup
foreign matter. If the sample shows evidence of free water, filling with 1-min intervals between breakdowns. The av¬
the dielectric breakdown test may be w'aived, and the sample erage of the five breakdowns shall be considered the dielec¬
shall be reported as unsatisfactory. tric breakdown voltage of the sample, provided the break¬

NOTE 1 It is suggested that 2 L of sample be made available when
referee tests are to be made, and 1 L of sample be made available when
routine tests are to be made.
down values meet the criterion for statistical consistency as
specified in 1 1.3. If the breakdown voltages do not meet this
criterion, the contents of the cup shall be discarded, the
8.2 The dielectric breakdown voltage of liquids may be sample container again gently inverted and swirled, the cup
seriously impaired by the migration of impurities through again filled, and five breakdowns made on this second cup
the liquid. In order that a representative test specimen filling. The average of the 10 breakdowns shall be considered
containing the impurities may be obtained, the sample as the dielectric breakdown voltage of the sample. No
container shall be gently inverted and swirled several times
before filling the test cup. Rapid agitation is undesirable,
since an excessive amount of air may be introduced into the
liquid. Immediately after agitation, a small portion of the
breakdown shall be discarded.
1 1 .3 Criterion for Statistical Consistency

1 1.3.1 Calculate the mean and standard deviation of the
five breakdowns as follows:
sample shall be used to rinse the test cup. The cup shall then 5
be filled slowly with the liquid to be tested in a manner that x=Vs 2 xi and s
will avoid entrapment of air. It should be filled to a level not where: /«*! 7-1 '
less than 20 mm or 0.8 in. above the top of the electrodes. In
order to permit the escape of air, the liquid shall be allowed
to stand in the cup for not less than 2 min and not more than
3 min before voltage is applied.
xf
s

x = mean of the five individual values,
/th breakdown voltage, and
= standard deviation.
If the ratio s/x exceeds 0.1, it is probable that the standard
NOTE 2— It is impractical to handle liquids having viscosities ranging deviation of the five breakdowns is excessive, and therefore
between 10 and 22 cSt (mmJ/s) (60 and 100 SUS) at 100’C (212*F) in that the probable error of their average is also excessive.
the manner outlined in 8.2. When testing high-viscosity liquids in this
range, the sample should be allowed to stand until it reaches room
temperature, which should not be less than 20‘C (68*F). The sample

11.3.2 Alternative Criterion Calculate the range of the
five breakdowns (maximum breakdown voltage minus min¬
container should not be swirled as prescribed in 8.2, but should be imum breakdown voltage), and multiply this range by three.
inverted for at least 30 min before the test, and then reinverted and If the value so obtained is greater than the next to the lowest
opened just prior to filling the test cup. breakdown voltage, it is probable that the standard deviation
of the five breakdowns is excessive, and therefore the
9. Test Temperature probable error of their average is also excessive.
9. 1 The temperature of the specimen when tested shall be
the same as that of the room, but the room temperature shall
in no case be less than 20°C (68*F). Testing liquids at 12. Report
temperatures lower than that of the room will give variable 12.1 The report shall include the following:
and unsatisfactory results. 12.1.1 ASTM designation of the test method used
(D 877),
10. Rate of Rise of Voltage 12.1.2 Procedure used, that is, referee test or routine test.
10.1 Voltage shall be applied and increased from zero at 12.1.3 Approximate viscosity of the liquid tested,
the rate of 3 kV/s ±20% until breakdown occurs as 1 2. 1 .4 Temperature of the liquid and the room at time of
indicated by operation of the circuit-interrupting equipment, test, and
and the value recorded. Occasional momentary discharges 12.1.5 Individual breakdown values and the average
may occur which do not result in operation of the inter¬ breakdown value in any of the following ways that may
rupting equipment, and shall be disregarded. apply:
12.1.5.1 Five breakdowns, one on each of five cup fillings
11. Procedure that meet the criterion of statistical consistency,
11.1 Referee Testing — When it is desired to determine the
dielectric breakdown voltage of a new liquid for referee
purposes, one breakdown shall be made on each of five
12.1.5.2 Ten breakdowns, one on each of ten cup fillings
when the first five breakdowns do not meet the criterion for
statistical consistency,
successive fillings of the test cup. The breakdown voltage 12.1.5.3 In routine testing, five breakdowns on one cup
thus obtained shall be subjected to the criterion for statistical filling that meet the criterion of statistical consistency, or

3
© D 877
12.1.5.4 When the routine test is employed, five break¬ 13. Precision and Biss
downs on each of two cup fillings when the breakdowns on 13.1 The precision of this test method has not been
the first cup filling do not meet the criterion of statistical determined. No statement can be made about the bias of this
consistency.
test method because a standard reference material is not
12.1.6 If the sample was observed to contain free water or available.
other contaminants, the report should so indicate, with a
statement that the test was not made.

APPENDIX

(Nonmandatory Information)

XI. OTHER FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DIELECTRIC BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE OF INSULATING
LIQUIDS AT COMMERCIAL POWER FREQUENCIES
XI.l The dielectric breakdown voltage of a liquid at dielectric strength of the liquid can have an accentuated
commercial power frequencies is also affected by the degree effect on the electric creepage strength of solid insulating
of uniformity of the electric field, the area of the electrodes or materials immersed in the liquid.
volume of the liquid under maximum stress, the length of X1.2 Because of the separate, cumulative, and in some
time for which the liquid is under stress, the temperature of cases, interacting effects of the influences listed above, the
the liquid (especially insofar as it affects the relative satura¬
average breakdown voltage of a liquid as determined by this
test method cannot be used for desip purposes. Alternative
tion level of moisture in solution), gassing tendencies of the
test procedures that may yield more meaningful indications
liquid under the influence of electric stress, concentration of of the functional dielectric strength of a liquid are under
dissolved gases (especially if saturation levels are exceeded as consideration (for example, a step-by-step method of ap¬
a result of sudden cooling or decrease in pressure, which may plying voltage, and using the lowest rather than the average
cause the formation of gas bubbles), incompatibility with value of breakdown voltage obtained in the prescribed
materials of construction, and velocity of flow. A decrease in number of tests).

Th* American Society toe Testing and Uateriah takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection
with any Item mentioned In this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such
patent rights, end the risk of infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility.

This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five years and
If not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments eve Invited either for revision of this standard or for additionalstandards
and should be addressed to ASTU Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of the responsible
technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you should make your
views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 18103.

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