Synergism in SF6 mixtures with C=C−C backbone compounds

Abstract

Abstract A positive synergy in the electric strength was observed in a previous study in SF6/HFO1234ze(E) mixtures which was shown to result from a strong electron energy moderation capability of HFO1234ze(E) combined with thermal electron attachment of SF6 (Egüz et al 2022 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 55 315203). In the present work, the electron energy moderation properties of compounds with a similar C=C−C backbone are investigated. Swarm and breakdown measurements are performed in pure gases and in mixtures with SF6. Compounds with a trifluoromethyl group (−CF3) showed lower characteristic energy and as a consequence a positive synergism with SF6. Descriptors related to electron energy moderation are identified and computed; a clear trend is found from the analysis of descriptors related to inelastic processes which suggest(s) that vibrational excitations may be the main source of electron energy loss in the compounds showing positive synergy.