Insulator
Table of Contents
Insulator meaning in hindi- कुचालक, अचालक या परावैद्युत या विद्युत रोधी किसे कहते है
Electrical Insulator Materials
Did you ever consider how important materials like glass, air, and wood could be for electrical purposes? You might be shocked to learn that common electrical insulator materials include glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, wood, and even dry air. Before going over the characteristics of Insulators and their applications, let’s define an electrical insulators.
What is Insulator
To master the subject of the Electrical Insulator and the application of Insulator, you technically need to comprehend the concept of the Electrical Conductor. The materials that make up an electrical conductor allow current or charges to flow in one or more directions. In other words, because they have free electrons, non-metallic materials like graphite and metals like copper can both act as electrical conductors. For instance, you plug your phone into the outlet to charge it. Your phone can be fully charged thanks to the electrons in the electrical conductor.
Electrical insulators material, on the other hand, prevent the free flow of electric currents or charges. The ability of the electrons to drift freely between atoms is extremely limited in electrical insulator materials. As a result, electrical insulators are poor electrical conductors. An example involving an electrical conductor can help you comprehend. So You must have noticed that the plastic used to cover the phone charger plug’s exterior prevents electric charges from touching people’s skin. Examples of Electrical Insulators are provided below.
- Plastic
- Styrofoam
- Rubber
- Wax
- Glass
- Dry air
- Rubber
- Ceramics
- Mica
- Teflon
- Porcelain
- Quartz
- Asphalt
Uses of Insulators
Given that electrical charges cannot pass through electrical insulators, you must be wondering why they are important to us. Electrical insulators are generally very helpful in homes, workplaces, streets, etc. They are utilised in electrical equipment and appliances. Unfortunately, one of the best conductors of electric charges is human skin. Electrical devices are also shielded from high voltage generation by the presence of electrical insulator materials. Insulators have a plethora of applications. Below is a list of them.
- It prevents the passing of high-voltage in an Electric circuit.
- It helps in saving the environment by controlling the emission of pollutants.
- It helps in reducing the cost of energy.
- It allows the soundproofing of appliances.
- It protects from Electric shock or electrocution.
- It improves process performances.
Application of Insulator
Electrons cannot move freely between atoms because the Electrical Insulator materials tightly bind them. They thus stop electric charges from conducting. Given its advantages, the Electrical Insulator has a variety of uses. These are used to
- Circuit boards
- High voltage appliances
- Coating of Electric wires
- Coating for Electric poles on the streets
- Coating of cables
Types of Insulator in Overhead Lines
Electrical Insulators are capable of withstanding electric charges. Based on the operating voltage levels and applications, they can be broadly divided into three types of electrical insulation.
Pin Type Insulator (pin insulator)
The ideal support for low voltage line conductors is a pin insulator. For 11kV, a single piece of pin insulation is used, and for 25kV, a double piece. Three or four pin insulators can be used above 44 kV. A porcelain shell covers an electrical insulator. Therefore, an electrical appliance will remain leak-resistant even if its outer surface becomes wet because its inner surface will remain dry.
Suspension Type Insulator
High-voltage gearbox lines are best handled by suspension electrical insulators. Porcelain discs are arranged inside this kind of electrical insulator in a series through metal links, giving them the appearance of being strung together. The placement of Insulators is greatly influenced by the weather, voltage, Insulator size, etc.
Strain Type Insulator (strain insulator)
Tension Insulator is another name for strain Insulator. They work best for high voltages at locations with higher tension, such as sharp curves, river crossings, etc., where the direction of the electrical line may change. It helps reduce the overly high tension in the line. Electrical Insulators with Strain have dielectric characteristics. If the tension gets too high, more strings can be added.
shackle insulator
Low-voltage distribution lines are where shackle insulators are most frequently use. Both a vertical and a horizontal position can be use with the shackle insulators. The line conductor in the grove is constrained by a soft binding wire, and the shackle insulators can be fixed directly to the pole at the cross arm.
Facts
- A high-voltage area, which is dangerous, is enclose in fiberglass or glass to prevent the conductivity of charges to pass.
- You would be surprise to know that the diamond necklace you wear on a special occasion is an excellent Electrical Insulator material.
- Your Electrician uses a special screwdriver with a plastic coating to check the passage of Electrical charges without getting electrocuted.
Difference between Conductor and Insulator
Conductor | Insulator |
These substances help to flow the Electric current | These substances prevent the flow of Electric current |
The Electrical resistance of the Conductor is very low | The Electrical resistance of Insulators is high |
They contain a large number of free electrons | Insulators do not have free electrons |
The thermal Conductivity is high as compared to Insulators | The thermal conductivity is low as compared to Conductors |
The Electrical field in Conductors is present only on the surface and not inside the material | The Electrical field is not present in Insulators |
Most metals are Conductors | Mostly non-metals are Insulators |
Some of the examples of the Conductor are copper, Aluminium, iron, etc. | Examples of Insulators are wood, rubber, plastic, etc. |
Quick Summary
Here’s a quick summary of the topic of Electrical Insulators and their examples.
Type of the material | Insulator |
Some examples | are wood, plastic, rubber, etc. |
Conductivity | Conductivity is low in Insulators |
Electrical resistance | Electrical resistance is high in Insulators. |
Materials possessing property | Mostly non-metals |
Electric field | Absent |
Free electrons | No free electrons present |
Types of Insulators In overhead lines | Pin type, suspension type, and strain type |