Modern Insulation Materials and Media for High-Voltage Equipment

The paper is devoted to an overview of the development of insulating materials and media used in high-voltage equipment over the past 150 years. The transition from traditional dielectrics such as air, porcelain, and glass to modern developments based on polymers and polymeric composites is considered. The increase in the use of synthetic liquids such as silicone and specialty oils is discussed, and the emergence of alternatives, such as liquid nitrogen for technological applications of superconductivity, is considered. Special attention is paid to the use of different gases, for example, fluoronitriles and ketones at different pressure values as an alternative to air and gas for gas insulation of high-voltage equipment.