Home⇛Romblon State University Research Journal⇛vol. 7 no. 2 (2025)

Design, Development, and Experimental Evaluation of Marble Spool Insulator

Mark Lawrence Ical | Jay Oliveros | Jerome Gacu

Discipline: materials technology

 

Abstract:

Spool insulators made of either porcelain or polymer are widely used in insulating electrical components in secondary electrical wires and are typically imported. The Philippines should capitalize on producing spool insulators using locally available materials such as marble, with promising potential due to its abundance, mechanical durability, hydrophobic properties, and environmental sustainability. Thus, this study aimed to design, develop, and test marble spool insulators. Three (3) different marble materials categorized by color were used and designed using the ANSI 53-2 standard. The prepared marble spool insulators were electrically tested using an impulse flashover voltage test, while physical properties like wettability and abrasion resistance were also determined. Impulse flashover voltage test results revealed that all marble spool insulators exhibited high electrical resistance to voltages up to 30 kV, while the contact angle test showed that marble spool insulators are more hydrophobic (θ ≥ 60°) than the porcelain spool insulator (θ = 0°). Moreover, abrasion loss is 4.85% greater than marble's, suggesting that marble is more durable than porcelain. The study demonstrates the viability of using marble for spool insulator fabrication, showcasing its superior electrical resistance, hydrophobicity, and durability compared to porcelain. This presents an opportunity for local production, reducing dependence on imports and opening new market prospects in the electrical insulation industry. However, further market research and validation tests are needed to compete with commercial porcelain spool insulators.



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