Electrical insulators, such as ceramics, glass, non-ceramics, rubber, and silicon dioxide, prevent risks associated with electricity. Ceramic insulators are durable and can maintain their shape, while glass insulators are more resistant to electrical and thermal forces. Non-ceramic insulators are cheaper and lighter but may crack over time. Rubber insulators are smaller and more resistant to breaking. Silicon dioxide insulators are ideal for electronics and can protect them from electrical interference.
An electrical insulator is a material that does not conduct electricity. Such materials may include ceramics, glass, non-ceramics, rubber and silicon dioxide. Different materials often serve different purposes, to the extent that a particular material may be used exclusively in some electrical insulators and avoided in others. Electrical isolation is often used when voltage is low, such as in most residential and commercial systems. Insulation prevents the risks associated with electricity, including short circuits and fires.
Ceramic insulators are often used in long-term electrical systems such as power lines. Clay and feldspar are some of the materials used to create ceramic electrical insulators. These types of insulators tend to serve for many years and can maintain their shape and function despite harsh conditions. Additionally, ceramics can form the often complex shapes required for effective insulation, making them useful for many specific applications.
Glass insulators are even more resistant to electrical and thermal forces, making them ideal for electrical applications such as incandescent light bulbs. Like ceramic insulators, glass insulators can hold their shape indefinitely, although impact could break them. Glass insulators are more difficult to shape without distortion or weakening, which limits their use.
Non-ceramic insulators can be made from a variety of materials, including plastics and complex alloys. The main advantages of non-ceramic insulators are that they are cheaper and lighter than most other materials and can be used for long distance electrical insulation. A disadvantage of non-ceramic insulators is that they may crack over time or due to adverse weather conditions. This limits their use, especially in high voltage systems. Regardless, many consumer electronic devices use non-ceramic insulation.
Rubber insulators are generally smaller than other types of electrical insulator and are often used when other materials may be too brittle. Despite their size, rubber insulators are generally much more resistant to cracking and breaking. For example, rubber insulators can be used in place of glass or ceramic in areas where more fragile insulators have a higher risk of shattering.
Silicon dioxide insulators can be miniaturized, making them ideal for electronics. Silicon dioxide insulators have helped create compact electronic components in computers and mobile devices. Other materials used to create electrical insulators often don’t work as well when combined with silicon-based electronic equipment. The material used to make these types of electrical insulators can also be used to protect electronics from electrical interference when used as shielding.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
