1392 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DIELECTRICS AND ELECTRICAL INSULATION, VOL. 29, NO.
4, AUGUST 2022
Development and Application of
Superhydrophobic Outdoor Insulation: A Review
Refat Atef Ghunem , Senior Member, IEEE, Edward A. Cherney , Life Fellow, IEEE,
Masoud Farzaneh , Life Fellow, IEEE, G. Momen, Hazlee Azil Illias ,
Gustavo Arturo Mier Malagón , Member, IEEE, Vidyadhar Peesapati , Member, IEEE,
and Fanghui Yin , Member, IEEE
Abstract — The aim of this article is to present a review
of the development and application of superhydrophobic
insulation for outdoor high-voltage applications. The meth-
ods of preparing insulation exhibiting superhydrophobic
properties to mitigate the pollution problem under high
voltages in the outdoors are explored. In addition, the
existing evaluation techniques at the material development
stage are reviewed and potential new modifications are
discussed. The self-cleaning and anti-icing properties, the
electrical performance, and prospects of superhydrophobic
insulators are also addressed. Although superhydrophobic
insulators may show promising behavior in small-scale
laboratory conditions that do not use electrical stress, the
effect of surface micro–nano structure responsible for the
superhydrophobicity on the performance under the actual
outdoor and weathering conditions under voltage remains
to be fully understood and verified. Therefore, there is a need
to verify the feasibility of superhydrophobic insulators for
outdoor high-voltage applications with a solid evaluation
protocol, while using material screening methods in the
laboratory, and with reference to field experience.
Index Terms — Anti-icing, hydrophobicity, outdoor
insulators, pollution performance, self-cleaning,
superhydrophobicity.
I. I NTRODUCTION
O VER the past 30 years, various materials exhibit-
ing superhydrophobic properties have been studied for
Manuscript received 1 December 2021; accepted 13 May 2022. Date
of publication 27 June 2022; date of current version 4 August 2022.
(Corresponding author: Refat Atef Ghunem.)
Refat Atef Ghunem is with the Metrology Research Center, National
Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada (e-mail:
refat.ghunem@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca).
Edward A. Cherney is with the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
Masoud Farzaneh and G. Momen are with the Département des
Sciences Appliquée, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi,
QC G7H 2B1, Canada.
Hazlee Azil Illias is with the Centre of Advanced Manufacturing and
Material Processing (AMMP Centre), Department of Electrical Engineer-
ing, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603,
Malaysia.
Gustavo Arturo Mier Malagón is with the Research and Development
Department, GrupoDriel, Queretaro 76121, Mexico.
Vidyadhar Peesapati is with the Department of Electrical Engineering
and Electronics, School of Engineering, The University of Manchester,
Manchester M13 9PL, U.K.
Fanghui Yin is with the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate
School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Color versions of one or more figures in this article are available at
https://doi.org/10.1109/TDEI.2022.3183671.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TDEI.2022.3183671
1070-9878 © 2022 Crown Copyright
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outdoor high-voltage insulation applications [1], [2]. Novel
ways of preparing such materials have been proposed, and
a few of them were reported useful at an industrial scale
[3]–[5]. Evaluation of wettability, without applying electrical
stress, reported a significant increase in the static contact
angle (CA) [6]–[10]. Laboratory experiments performed under
voltage have reportedan increase in flashover voltage of
superhydrophobic electrical insulators, when compared with
conventional hydrophobic insulators [11]–[13].
Nevertheless, evaluation of these insulators has been mostly
limited to laboratory conditions and not thoroughly performed
under actual outdoor conditions of pollution, moisture, icing,
and high voltage. There is a need to explore the loss of
superhydrophobic properties in the outdoors and the role of
the mechanical properties of the nanostructure that gives rise
to the superhydrophobic phenomenon. Aging performance and
durability remain questionable and need to be verified [14],
[15]. Also, the need for reliable maintenance and replace-
ment procedures after aging should be addressed. Therefore,
questions remain as to the state-of-the-art of such insulators
and their application for commercial applications [16]. This
review article is focused on technical practical aspects per-
tained to the application of the superhydrophobic materials as
outdoor electrical insulators.
II. W ETTABILITY OF AN I NSULATOR S URFACE
Wettability of a clean insulator surface depends on the
strength of the intermolecular interaction between water
droplets and the insulator material. The measurement of the
apparent CA on a flat insulating surface observed between the
tangent line drawn to a sessile water droplet separating air
and the material is the usual way of quantifying wettability.
A sessile water droplet has a definitive volume, usually defined
as 10 μL.
The magnitude of the measured CA indicates the balance of
the intermolecular forces between the water droplet, air, and
the insulator surface. If the insulation material/water adhesion
forces are stronger than the cohesion forces within the water
molecules, then the water spreads on the surface. Conversely,
if the cohesive forces are stronger than the adhesive forces
between the water and the insulation, then the water remains
as a sessile droplet on the insulation.
A hydrophilic surface has a water CA θ less than 90◦ ,
while a hydrophobic surface has a water CA greater than or
GHUNEM et al.: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF SUPERHYDROPHOBIC OUTDOOR INSULATION: A REVIEW
equal to 90◦ . As an extension of these two basic definitions,
solid surfaces having θ values greater than 150◦ are called
superhydrophobic.
Young’s equation [17], which will not be reproduced in
this article as it is described in most articles dealing with
hydrophobicity, is the usual way of quantifying the wettability.
This equation is based on the assumption that the surface is
chemically homogeneous and topographically smooth. How-
ever, this is usually not true for real solid surfaces, such as
insulator surface. In practice, a dynamic CA is often observed,
ranging between the advancing CA and receding CA. Thus,
without appropriate modification, Young’s equation could not
be applicable to the discussion of wettability of insulator
surfaces.
The degree of roughness can affect the wettability of a solid
surface. A rough surface consisting of hills and valleys in
which water diffuses into the roughness of the surface is a bet-
ter approximation of wettability, and Wenzel’s equation [18] is
a more plausible way of demonstrating CA. For ahydrophilic
surface, the CA will decrease with the increase in surface
roughness. On the contrary, if the surface is hydrophobic,
it will become even more hydrophobic when the increase in
surface roughness treatment is applied [19]. Furthermore, sur-
face treatment must not produce polar byproducts or alter the
surface chemistry, otherwise superhydrophobicity will likely
deteriorate. Once again, the theoretical aspects are not included
here as they appear in many publications on the subject.
It should be noted that the Wenzel equation considers the
roughness while the surface should be chemically homoge-
neous. As practical insulator surfaces have a multitude of
surface structures due to pollution, the Wenzel equation is still
not complete to describe the wetting process on the insulator
surface [20].
Insulators can have varying degrees of surface heterogeneity
overtime and air pockets may be trapped in the valleys of
the surface structure. Thus, CA involves air, water, and solid
surface interactions. Although the estimate of CA under these
conditions is useful, the equation that can describe CA is
even more complex. Currently, the Cassie–Baxter equation is
widely used to analyze CA on a flat surface with chemical
heterogeneity [21]. This equation was derived based on the
two-dimensional model and is also adopted for the visual
description of droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces. In recent
years, numerical approaches were used to extend the equation
to three dimensions [22], [23]. In summary, the presence of
surface roughness and chemical heterogeneity of the insulator
surface, contamination on the surface by foreign materials, and
drop size effects are the most important aspects of wettability.
III. S UPERHYDROPHOBICITY
Water-repellent property, or superhydrophobicity, in nature
is a well-known phenomenon which has been extensively stud-
ied to replicate the properties for industrial applications. These
studies on plants, insects, and animals will not be discussed
here as they have appeared in numerous publications. In all the
studies, a similar micrometer and nanometer range structure
has been found. For example, the micrometer structure that
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1393
ranges from 5 to 9 μm with nanosized branches having
average diameters of about 120 nm is present on both sides of
the lotus leaf [24]. A low free energy is provided by a wax that
covers these micrometer diameter papillae. This two-size range
structure creates a large volume of air trapping when in contact
with water, which is essential for superhydrophobicity [24].
Synthetic superhydrophobic surfaces were developed since
the 1990s [25]. The methods used to obtain superhydrophobic
surfaces can be divided into two main categories: 1) creating
nano- and/or microscale roughness on a hydrophobic surface
having a low surface free energy and 2) modifying a for-
mer micro/nanostructured rough surface by coating with a
hydrophobic layer having a low surface free energy. At the
end of 2020, the number of publications that appeared in
a Google Scholar search for “superhydrophobic surfaces”
exceeded 14 000.
IV. A PPLICATION M ETHODS TO E LECTRICAL
I NSULATORS
A. Etching Techniques: Plasma, Laser, and Chemical
A superhydrophobic insulator can be developed by etch-
ing a hydrophobic insulating surface so that a micro–nano
roughness can be obtained. Common etching methods include
non-thermal plasma treatment in which the insulator surface
is impinged with free radicals, engraving the surface with
laser ablation, and chemically treating the surface with acids.
Research efforts have been mainly devoted to the application
of non-thermal plasma in the development of superhydropho-
bic insulator surfaces because the process is simple, environ-
mentally friendly, and easy to control [3].
Table I summarizes the use of etching techniques reported
in the literature either for the development of superhydropho-
bic insulators or the hydrophobicity improvement of existing
insulators.
B. Superhydrophobic Coatings
In recent years, superhydrophobic coatings have attracted
more attention potentially as better alternatives for the tra-
ditional room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber
coatings [1], [33]. The state-of-the-art has shown superhy-
drophobic coatings for outdoor high-voltage insulator evalu-
ated by artificial contamination, water immersion, ultraviolet
exposition, icing, and thermal stability tests.
Other material screening tests and surface failure measure-
ments conducted at high voltages have also been suggested
from an electrical insulation point of view, such as dry arcing
test, corona resistance test, inclined plan test, leakage current,
flashover voltage, and surface conductance measurements [34].
It should be noted that electrical properties measured in
standard tests at high voltages have also been described for
evaluation of RTV silicone rubber coatings in the IEEE guide
for application, maintenance, and evaluation of RTV silicone
rubber coatings for outdoor ceramic insulators [35].
Generally, fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface could
be accomplished via two kinds of approaches including
by creating air-infused hierarchical rough structures or by
infusing a lubricating liquid into low surface energy solid
1394 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DIELECTRICS AND ELECTRICAL INSULATION, VOL. 29, NO. 4, AUGUST 2022
surfaces [36]. In the air-infused hierarchical rough struc-
tures which are inspired by the lotus effect [37], transition
from Cassie to Wenzel state is influenced by the Laplace
pressure which depends on surface geometry. Oil-infused
surfaces inspired by the Nepenthes (also known as tropical
pitcher plants) present extreme liquid repellency and slippery
behavior. Most of the matrices used for electrical insula-
tors consist of polysiloxanes loaded with silica, alumina,
and ATH [38]–[40].
Inspired by the lotus effect, a nano size silica coating has
been developed using sol–gel method by Ramalla et al. [8].
The superhydrophobic surface was generated using two kinds
of approaches: creating hierarchical structures on hydrophobic
surfaces and chemically modifying it with a low surface
free energy material including tetraethoxysilane (TOES) and
perflouorodiethlytrioxysilane (PDTS). Li et al. [10] reported a
very similar approach to achieve a superhydrophobic coating
for glass/porcelain insulators.
Peng et al. [2] reported the fabrication of a multifunc-
tional, micro–nanoscale SiO2 /epoxy resin as a superhydropho-
bic coating for composite insulators with superb anti-icing
performance. Liao et al. [6] fabricated a superhydrophobic
coating by mixing the nanoparticle filling of hydrophobic
fumed silica along with the addition of fluorosilicone resin
to lower the surface energy, thus improving the anti-icing
property of insulators. The provided evidence revealed that
the fabricated superhydrophobic coating has delay icing effect
and it could decrease ice accumulation due to coarse surface
formed by silica nanoparticles.
Zhuang et al. [41] investigated the effect of nano-sized tita-
nium dioxide (TiO2 ) on the performance of porcelain insulator
under contaminated conditions. It was reported that TiO2 films
coated on the surface of the porcelain insulator promoted the
self-cleaning property and enhanced the electrical properties
of ac wet flashover voltage by approximately 6% for a single
insulator unit. However, it should be noted that using TiO2
filler in outdoor insulators may not be a competitive solution.
Gou et al. [7] successfully achieved a superhydrophobic
surface by adjusting the contents of nanometer calcium car-
bonate and nano-silica particles in fluorosilicone resin. The
coated glass insulator showed superhydrophobic and excellent
anti-icing properties, respectively, at nano particle content of
33% (when compared with 20% and 49%) and when 20% of
the surface area was covered by glaze ice.
Yao [42] fabricated a superhydrophobic coating by the mix-
ture of graphene and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Graphene
was prepared by electrochemical stripping. High CA of
160±2◦ and rolling off angle of 9◦ were reported for this
coating which was claimed to perform as an anti-ice coating
for insulator application.
By spray coating of ZnO particles and multiwalled car-
bon nanotubes (MWCNTs) dispersed in PDMS elastomer,
Zhu et al. [13] fabricated a superhydrophobic coating with
superior surface insulation strength (maximum 54% flashover
voltage increase) and moderate surface conductivity at about
3 × 10−16 S/m. It was claimed that the invented approach
provided a new insight for simultaneously improving the
multiple surface properties of dielectric insulation.
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In [43], a stable RTV silicone rubber/titanium dioxide
nanocomposite was prepared using a convenient spray coating
method. The number of deposited coatings was optimized
to three layers, since some superhydrophobicity was lost
by adding a fourth layer, due to the reduction in surface
roughness. However, it should be noted that finding the most
useful number of coating layers may require further investi-
gation in actual field conditions. The synergistic effect of the
micro/nanobinary scale roughness similar to lotus leaves was
produced by a multilayer RTV SR/TiO2 composite.
Zhao et al. [9] fabricated a superhydrophobic coating
using PDMS loaded with nanosilica filler for glass insula-
tors. Compared with a commercial RTV silicone coating, the
fabricated coating exhibited reduced ice accumulation and an
increased flashover voltage from 75 to 100 kV. Fabrication of
nanocomposites could generally increase the hydrophobicity
of insulators. However, nanoparticles agglomerate easily due
to their high surface energy, and achieving a well-dispersed
nanocomposite may encounter manufacturing problems.
Based on lubricant-infused surfaces’ approach, Zhu et al.
[44] introduced a silicon-oil-infused PDMS porous surface
by the aid of silica particle for icephobic insulator coatings.
Evidence showed that water repellency improved and low ice
adhesion strength of 50 kPa (about 3% of the value on a bare
surface of Al), by adding silicone oil to the coating, due to
the creation of a nonpolar surface with a low surface tension.
C. Replication Molding Methods
As an industrial practical technique for fabrication of
superhydrophobic polymeric surfaces, replication molding has
been proposed. Different polymer basis and polymer molding
processes including injection molding, compression mold-
ing, hot embossing, and polymer casting have been used
to fabricate superhydrophobic surfaces. A comprehensive
state-of-the-art review on replication molding techniques of
superhydrophobic surfaces can be found in [4]. Relatively,
little attention has been given to the application of replication
molding techniques to develop superhydrophobic surface with
potential use in high-voltage outdoor insulation applications.
Yan et al. [45] used a laser ablated template to pro-
duce micro–nano roughness on silicone rubber insulation,
and Wang et al. [46] combined the use of a template
with compression molding to develop a superhydropho-
bic high-temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber.
Maghsoudi et al. benefited from applying a perfluorooctyl-
silane anti-stiction coating on the micro/nanostructured alu-
minum template surface in compression molding of HTV
silicone rubber to enhance the replication quality. It was well
proved that the release agent with very low surface energy did
not transfer to the silicone rubber surface during replication
process, and hence it was concluded that it does not affect the
hydrophobicity of silicone rubber. The silicone rubber surface
showed super hydrophobicity, icephobicity, and self-cleaning
properties which make this fabrication a suitable choice for
high-voltage composite insulators [47].
Mulroney and Gupta reported using an intermediary for
demolding PDMS from a microtextured template to improve
GHUNEM et al.: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF SUPERHYDROPHOBIC OUTDOOR INSULATION: A REVIEW
the surface quality. In the used process, the microtexture was
transferred from the aluminum template to the polycarbonate
surface and then from the polycarbonate to PDMS. Therefore,
PDMS was demolded easily with a better surface quality.
The height of the microstructures replicated directly from
aluminum was much higher compared with microstructures
replicated from polycarbonate [48].
V. S ELF -C LEANING , A NTI -I CING , E LECTRICAL
P ERFORMANCE , AND P ROSPECTS OF
S UPERHYDROPHOBIC I NSULATORS
Self-cleaning enhances the resistance of the superhydropho-
bic surface to contamination. The self-cleaning property can
be evaluated by the ability of a rolling water droplet to easily
wash off contaminants on a superhydrophobic surface inclined
at an angle, known as the rolling off angle. Micro–nano struc-
ture on superhydrophobic surfaces significantly diminishes the
adhesion of surface contaminants by a factor that corresponds
the effective contact area between the surface and the conta-
minant [49], thereby achieving rolling off angles ≤10◦. Anti-
icing has been another sought property of superhydrophobic
insulators, particularly to minimize the number of unplanned
outages due to insulator icing in cold climates.
Self-cleaning and anti-icing properties can expand dry band
areas on an outdoor insulator surface, which increases the
surface resistance along the flashover path, and eventually
the flashover voltage [12]. In addition, micro–nano surface
structure could suppress the accumulation of surface charge
and reduce the depth of charge traps on the insulator, which
also increase the flashover voltage [50].
However, the wettability of self-cleaning under voltage was
shown to be dependent on the nature of the wetting mode [42].
Self-cleaning suppressed leakage current during a modified
rotating wheel dip test and the clean fog test under voltage, but
no enhancement of electrical performance was observed during
the condensation test under voltage [51]. Superhydrophobic
surfaces tested under voltage were prone to the formation of
wet layers when the surface was subject to dew, produced in
the condensation test [51]. Tested insulator surfaces could wet
out, as soon as their superhydrophobicity was lost [15], [51].
Corona etching on superhydrophobic insulator surfaces was
shown to be destructive to the surface-fabricated micro–nano
structure, which questioned the approach of only using the
direct replica fabrication method without chemically modify-
ing the base material of the insulator to be superhydrophobic
[14]. The experimental results showed that a superhydropho-
bic insulator surface could be transformed to be completely
superhydrophilic after corona aging [15]. The hydrophobicity
recovery was reported to undergo two phases: 1) fast recovery
and 2) slow recovery. The fast recovery phase is quicker after
fewer hours of corona aging and was reported as quick as
about 2.4 h to restore the CA to 114.6◦ after 10 h of corona
aging, whereas the second recovery stage could be as slow
as 57.6 h to restore the CA with a value of 144.3◦. Although
superhydrophobicity was fully recovered after corona aging
[14], recovery was not achieved to a similar extent after water
immersion aging [15]. Thus, once Wenzel’s state was reached,
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1395
it became difficult to retain Cassie’s state on an insulator
surface [15].
In addition, although icephobic properties of superhy-
drophobic insulators were promising, complete prevention of
ice formation could not be achieved [52], [53]. Jung et al.
[54] studied the freezing mechanism of supercooled droplet
on surfaces and proved that icephobicity could fail by simple
changes in environmental conditions such as humidity and/or
the flow of a surrounding gas. Other research also proved that
superhydrophobic surfaces cannot reduce ice adhesion [52] or
even accelerate the ice nucleation rate under extreme humidity
[47]. These findings might be related to the loss of air voids
in the porous structure caused by water condensation in the
porous surface [55]. In this regard, a smooth hydrophobic sur-
face may present better icephobic properties although it does
not serve as a superhydrophobic surface [56]. Zhu et al. [44]
introduced a liquid-infused porous surfaces (LIPS) material
based on silicon-oil-infused PDMS for icephobic insulator
coatings.
In the presence of superhydrophobic coatings, it was demon-
strated that the dielectric breakdown strength of PDMS sheets
under wet conditions does not reduce significantly compared
with dry condition due to their surface roughness [31]. While
experiments reported in [31] were controlled, they seem to lack
strong relevance to outdoor insulation applications. Therefore,
further discussion of the experimental outcomes in [31] is
not provided herein. The superhydrophobic coatings assist
water droplets to roll off from the surface due to its low CA
hysteresis. Hence, under wet condition, the superhydrophobic
coating on the insulator surface allows the retention of its
dielectric strength, which could enhance the performance and
prolong the service life of insulators.
VI. M ATERIAL E VALUATION AND S CREENING M ETHODS
In a way analogous to hydrophobicity, superhydrophobicity
of outdoor insulators would be expected to be lost under
the effect of various factors such as corona, weathering, and
ultra-violet radiation in the electrical power system. There is
a lack of information available about the aging performance
of superhydrophobic surfaces in outdoor insulation conditions
and the corresponding aging evaluation at the material devel-
opment stage. A particular concern would be the effect of
remarkable surface roughness of superhydrophobic surface,
when the hydrophobicity is lost in service, on various prop-
erties such as tracking, erosion resistances, and the ability to
recover hydrophobicity.
A. Tracking and Erosion
An insulating surface tracks due to the formation of con-
ducting carbon (graphite)-based residue as the surface is
hit by discharges, whereas loss of surface material due to
pyrolysis (combustion) during discharge is called erosion.
Allowing the insulator surface to be superhydrophobic may in
general enhance the tracking resistance of polymeric materials,
as determined with the comparative tracking index of the IEC
60112 [57]. However, verifying composites for outdoor high-
voltage insulation requires testing under higher electric stresses
1396 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DIELECTRICS AND ELECTRICAL INSULATION, VOL. 29, NO. 4, AUGUST 2022

preferably with inclined plane specimens according to IEC TABLE I

60587 or ASTM D2303. A PPLICATION OF E TCHING M ETHODS IN THE D EVELOPMENT OF
S UPERHYDROPHOBIC E LECTRICAL I NSULATION
In addition, outdoor insulation composites are highly loaded
with inorganic fillers, which prevents the tendency of the
composite to track, and therefore erosion becomes the property
of primary interest. Applying the constant voltage method as
per IEC 60587 and ASTM D2303 has been the most accepted
inclined plane test (IPT) method for measuring the erosion
resistance of outdoor insulation housing materials. The critical
test voltage commonly accepted for outdoor insulation housing
materials is 4.5 kV ACrms in general [58], but this test voltage
level has not been specified as firmly for coatings. Similarly,
the constant voltage method could be applied to verify the
erosion performance of superhydrophobic coatings. Generally,
surface texture or surface roughness may alter the wetting
behavior of the surface and thus the nature of the dry band
arcing. Silicone rubber materials with textured surfaces at
the millimeter scale showed better performance when com-
pared with untextured counter samples in the inclined plane
tracking and erosion test [59]. Superhydrophobic surfaces
have completely different scale of surface texture (micro–nano
roughness) and therefore needs to be verified with IPT as per
the ASTM D2303 or IEC 60587.
However, initial surface wettability is an important aspect
that needs to be addressed for inclined plane tracking and
erosion tests to be suitable for evaluating superhydrophobic
insulators. IPT is a test for tracking, erosion, and should
not be used to test for hydrophobicity. The standard liquid
contaminant applied on the surface under test must wet out the surements. Very limited number of studies have evaluated
surface before starting the test. Triton X100 is added to the the loss of hydrophobicity for superhydrophobic insulators
liquid contaminant of the inclined plane tracking and erosion under voltage. Studies were conducted using modified rotating
test at 0.02 wt% as per IEC 60587 and ASTM D2303 to wheel test and multistress test was reported in [15], but
obtain hydrophilic surface before starting the test. In other more thorough investigation is required with various wet-
words, the effect of the fabricated micro–nano structure on ting modes as in the salt-fog test for example, while using
tracking and erosion needs to be evaluated when the surface is different salt-fog conductivity and flow rates. In addition,
hydrophilic. evaluation conducted in field testing stations is another task
The use of Triton X100 and its recommended amount need that has yet to be conducted to verify the performance of
therefore to be verified for testing a superhydrophobic surface superhydrophobic insulators on site. The so-called dynamic
in the inclined plane tracking and erosion tests. In addition, the drop test has been conducted in evaluating the hydrophobicity
inclined setup of test as recommended by the IEC 560587 and retention of outdoor insulation materials under voltage [60],
ASTM D2303 may promote self-cleaning, which represents an but this test may need to be modified for superhydrophobic
obstacle in wetting out the surface before starting the test. surfaces. The inclined setup of the dynamic drop test may bias
Treatment of the superhydrophobic surface under test may the test conditions by promoting self-cleaning of the surface
be attempted to turn it into a hydrophilic surface. Treatment under test, thus making it difficult to wet the surface under
must be performed without damaging the fabricated micro– electric field and extending the test time to be an impractical
nano roughness. For example, treatment with corona may extent.
damage the micro–nano surface roughness [14], but water The evaluation of superhydrophobic surfaces may be
immersion aging potentially appears suitable for deteriorating improved by adding intelligent-based, image processing, and
the hydrophobicity without damaging the micro–nano surface mapping techniques, such as artificial neural network, support
roughness [15]. vector machine, self-organizing map, and k-nearest neighbor
(KNN) algorithm, to characterize the superhydrophobic sur-
face during material screening tests. These techniques may
B. Evaluating Hydrophobicity Under Voltage help characterize the evolution of surface hydrophobicity loss
Loss of hydrophobicity in polluted conditions can give or its recovery during aging tests in the laboratory or in
rise to leakage current under voltage. Thus, it has been actual field conditions. They can also reduce error in providing
an important life expectancy indicator of outdoor insulators a decision, assist human intervention in decision-making,
and therefore should be a more important parameter when increase accuracy, save time, and can be easily extended for
evaluating superhydrophobic surfaces than simple CA mea- future use.

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GHUNEM et al.: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF SUPERHYDROPHOBIC OUTDOOR INSULATION: A REVIEW
VII. C ONCLUSION AND O UTLOOK FOR S UCCESS
Superhydrophobic insulators promising self-cleaning and
icephobicity properties in small-scale laboratory evaluation
using non-electrical measurements, but extensive verification
in both standard laboratory and contaminated field conditions
under voltage are yet required to verify the viability of
these electrical insulators outdoors. In summary, the following
technical aspects can be highlighted.
1) Full understanding of the durability of the superhy-
drophobic properties remains unknown under the effect
of voltage, contamination, and moisture with different
wetting modes.
2) With corona aging and weathering, wetting of
the superhydrophobic insulator becomes inevitable;
therefore, the effect of surface micro–nano rough-
ness, which is responsible for superhydrophobicity,
on hydrophilic/superhydrophilic behavior needs to be
understood.
3) An important aspect yet to be understood is the effect of
the surface micro–nano structure of a superhydrophobic
surface on electric field distribution, particularly during
condensation.
4) There is no clear mechanism for replace-
ment/maintenance of fabricated texture on the
superhydrophobic insulators. This is an important
practical aspect that needs to be addressed. For
example, RTV silicone rubber coatings can be replaced
as they are approaching higher life expectancy.
5) Lack of experience is evident on applying the suit-
able material screening methods performed for super-
hydrophobic insulators under voltage in the laboratory
at the material development stage. In addition, a reliable
test protocol in actual field conditions needs to be
developed to verify the viability of the superhydrophobic
insulators.
6) Lack of reported experience about the application of
superhydrophobic outdoor high-voltage insulators is evi-
dent. This experience is important to understand the
viability of these materials in outdoor high-voltage insu-
lation applications.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This article was prepared by a Task Force of the IEEE DEIS
Outdoor Insulation Technical Committee.
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Refat Atef Ghunem (Senior Member, IEEE)
received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the
American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United
Arab Emirates, in 2008 and 2010, respectively,
and the Ph.D. degree from the University of
Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, in 2014.
He is currently the Team Leader of elec-
trical power measurements at the Metrology
Research Center, National Research Council
Canada. He is also a Professeur Associé with the
École de Technologie Supérieure, Montreal, QC,
Canada. His research interests include outdoor insulation, application
of novel measurement techniques in the study of polymeric insulating
materials, and high-accuracy electrical power measurements.
Dr. Ghunem is an Associate Editor of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON
DIELECTRICS AND ELECTRICAL INSULATION, the Chair of the IEEE Out-
door Insulation Technical Committee, and a member of the Education
Committee of the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society. He
is also a Professeur Associé at the Ecole de Technologie Supérieure and
a Registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.
Edward A. Cherney (Life Fellow, IEEE) received
the B.Sc. degree (Hons.) in physics from the
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada,
in 1967, the M.Sc. degree in physics from
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, in 1969, and
the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from
the University of Waterloo in 1974.
In 1968, he joined the Dielectric and Electri-
cal Insulation Group, Ontario Hydro Research
Division, Toronto, ON, where he was involved
in many areas of electrical insulation. In 1988,
he went into the insulator industry, first with a manufacturer of polymer
insulators and then later with a manufacturer of silicone materials. Since
1998, he has been an International Consultant in the outdoor insulation
field and an Adjunct Professor with the University of Waterloo. He has
published extensively on outdoor insulation, holds several patents, coau-
thored one book on outdoor insulators, and involved in several IEEE
working groups on insulators.
Dr. Cherney is a Registered Engineer in the Province of Ontario, a
Whitehead Lecturer of the DEIS, the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Electrical
Insulation Magazine for ten years, and was the Editor-in-Chief of the
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DIELECTRICS AND ELECTRICAL INSULATION for
three years.
GHUNEM et al.: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF SUPERHYDROPHOBIC OUTDOOR INSULATION: A REVIEW
Masoud Farzaneh (Life Fellow, IEEE) has done
pioneering research in the field of power engi-
neering. He has authored or coauthored about
750 technical articles, four books, and 15 book
chapters in power engineering. As a mentor,
he has trained over 250 highly qualified per-
sonnel, including 48 Ph.D.’s, 44 master’s, and
38 post-doctoral’s. His research has focused
on elucidating complex multiphysics phenomena
resulting from the interactions of electric fields,
liquid water, and ice or snow on conductors and
insulators. Advanced laboratory tests, multidisciplinary mathematical
modeling, numerical implementations, and field studies of natural icing
have supported this research which has led to technological innovations.
Dr. Farzaneh was the President of IEEE DEIS in 2013, the Editor-in-
Chief of the High Voltage journal (IET), and a Convenor of CIGRE WG
B2.29, B2.44, and B2.69 related to de-icing techniques and coatings
for protection of overhead power network equipment during winter
conditions. He is an IET Fellow, CIGRE Fellow, EIC Fellow, Fellow of
the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and Fellow of the Royal
Society of Canada. His contributions and achievements in research and
teaching have been recognized by many prestigious prizes and awards
at national and international levels. In recognition of his outstanding
contribution and impact, the Masoud Farzaneh Award was established
in 2010 by the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi in his honor.
G. Momen is currently an Associate Profes-
sor with the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
(UQAC), Chicoutimi, QC, Canada, and the Direc-
tor of the Anti-Icing Materials International Lab-
oratory (AMIL). AMIL is the only laboratory in
the world accredited to certify de-icing and anti-
icing fluids used to protect airplanes prior to
take-off. She is also heading the Laboratory
of Icephobic Material and Surface Engineering
(LaRGIS), UQAC. LaRGIS is to identify issues
related to atmospheric icing and surface wettabil-
ity to develop realistic anti-icing methods based on a variety of knowledge
that meet the needs of industries. She has supervised the research
work of more than 50 students’ at all academic level, including research
associate, post-doctoral fellow, Ph.D., and master’s students. She is the
author or coauthor of more than 50 scientific publications, having more
than 1200 citations.
Prof. Momen is a member of several International Working Group,
including “Ice Adhesion Working Group” and the international working
group of the Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) to report on
“Coatings for protecting overhead power network equipment in winter
conditions.” Before joining UQAC as a Professor, she worked at the
Global Completion Centre (GCC) of Bombardier Aerospace and was
responsible for research on interior coatings of aircraft, where she
established and equipped the first interior experimental laboratory at the
GCC.
Hazlee Azil Illias received the Ph.D. degree
in electrical engineering from the University of
Southampton, Southampton, U.K., in 2011.
He has been an Academic Staff with the
Department of Electrical Engineering, Universiti
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, since 2011.
To date, he has secured research grants of nearly
USD 0.7 million, published more than 70 journal
articles in ISI-indexed publications and 70 refer-
eed conference papers, and successfully super-
vised to completion of ten Ph.D., five master’s
degree by research, and 27 master’s degree project (by coursework)
candidates. His main research interests include partial discharge, poly-
meric insulation materials, and nanocomposites.
Dr. Illias is currently a member of the Institution of Engineering and
Technology (IET), a Corporate Member of the Institution of Engineers
Malaysia (IEM), a registered Chartered Engineer (C.Eng) in U.K., and a
Professional Engineer (Malaysia).
Authorized licensed use limited to: SRM Institute of Science and Technology. Downloaded on January 13,2024 at 13:06:02 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
1399
Gustavo Arturo Mier Malagón (Member, IEEE)
received the B.E. degree in mechanical engineer-
ing from the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey,
Querétaro, Mexico, in 2016.
He began working in the insulation industry
when he graduated. He started in the research
and development of insulator coatings and
wildlife protection with polymeric materials. Then,
he began international consultation regarding
insulation materials for high-voltage applications.
He has been an active member of the IEEE
Power and Energy Section, participating in international congress and
giving conferences regarding research and development, and innovation
in insulating materials and solutions for the electrical grid.
Vidyadhar Peesapati (Member, IEEE) received
the B.Eng. degree in electrical and electronics
engineering from the University of Madras, Chen-
nai, India, in 2001, and the M.Sc. degree in
electrical power systems and the Ph.D. degree in
electrical and electronics engineering from The
University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K., in
2006 and 2010, respectively.
He is currently a Knowledge Exchange Fel-
low with The University of Manchester. He spe-
cializes in area of high-voltage systems, asset
management, and condition monitoring. He currently bridges the gap
between academia and industry, applying research findings and tech-
niques to real-life high-voltage projects.
Dr. Peesapati is a member of IET and a Chartered Engineer.
Fanghui Yin (Member, IEEE) was born in Ji’an,
Jiangxi, China, in May 1983. He received the
B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Chongqing Uni-
versity, Chongqing, China, in 2004 and 2008,
respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from the
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC),
Chicoutimi, QC, Canada, in collaboration with
Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
After that, he did his post-doctoral research
with the Tsinghua Shenzhen International Grad-
uate School (TSIGS), Tsinghua University, Bei-
jing, China, from 2017 to 2020, where he is currently an Assistant
Professor. His main research interests include high-voltage technology,
external insulation, and transmission line’s icing.