breakdown potential

breakdown potential [′brāk‚dau̇n pə′ten·shəl]

(electricity)

breakdown voltage

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Breakdown potential

The potential difference at which an electrically stressed gas is transformed from an insulator to a conductor. In an electrically stressed gas, as the voltage is increased, the free electrons present in the gas gain energy from the electric field. When the applied voltage is increased to such a level that an appreciable number of these electrons are energetically capable of ionizing the gas, the gas makes the transition from an insulator to a conductor; that is, it breaks down. The potential difference at which this transition occurs is known as the breakdown potential for the particular gaseous medium.

The breakdown potential depends on the nature, number density, and temperature of the gas; on the material, state, and geometry of the electrodes; on the type of voltage applied (steady, alternating, impulsive); and on the degree of preexisting ionization. Areas of surface roughness at the electrodes (especially the cathode) or the presence of conducting particles in the gas greatly reduces the breakdown potential because at such points the electric field is significantly enhanced, increasing the electron energies and thus gas ionization. The breakdown voltage varies considerably from one gaseous medium to another; it is very low for the rare gases, and very high for polyatomic, especially electronegative, gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆).

The transition of a gas from an insulator to a conductor under an imposed electrical potential occurs in times ranging from milliseconds to nanoseconds, depending on the form of the applied field and the gas density. This transition depends on the behavior of electrons, ions, and photons in the gas, especially the processes which produce or deplete free electrons. Knowledge of these processes often allows prediction of the breakdown voltage of gases and the tailoring of gas mixtures which can withstand high electrical potentials for practical uses. See Electrical breakdown, Electrical conduction in gases

The systematic development of gaseous dielectrics with high dielectric strength (that is, high breakdown potential) is most significant for high-voltage technology, which has a multiplicity of gas insulation needs. Dielectric gases are widely used as insulating media in high-voltage transmission lines, circuit breakers, transformers, substations, high- voltage research apparatus, and other electrical equipment. See Dielectric materials