The activation energy of a material is an important factor that significantly affects the lifetime and can be used to develop a degradation model. In this study, a thermal analysis was carried out to evaluate and collect quantitative data on the degradation of insulation materials like EPR and CSP used for nuclear power plant cables. The activation energy was determined from the relationship between log β and 1/T based on the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, by a TGA test. The activation energy was also derived from the relationship between ln(t) and 1/T based on isothermal analysis, by an OIT test. The activation energy of EPR derived from thermal analysis was used to calculate the accelerated aging time corresponding to the number of years of use, employing the Arrhenius equation, and determine the elongation corresponding to the accelerated aging time.

Molded insulation materials are widely used from large electric power transformer apparatus to small electrical machinery and apparatus. In this study, by adding MgO with the average particle of several tens nm and the excellent thermal conductivity into molding material, we improved the problem of insulation breakdown strength decrease according to rising temperature in overload or in bad environmental condition. We confirmed the life evaluation by using the insulation breakdown and inverse involution to investigate the electrical characteristics of nano-composites materials. By using a scanning electron microscope, it is confirmed that MgO power with the average particle size of several tens nm is distributed and the filler particles is uniformly distributed in the cross section of specimens. And it is confirmed that the insulation breakdown strength of Virgin specimens is rapidly decreased at the high temperature area. But it is confirmed that the insulation breakdown strength of specimens added MgO slow decreased by thermal properties in the high temperature area improved by the contribution of the heat radiation of MgO and the suppression of tree. The results of life prediction using inverse involution, it is confirmed that the life of nano-composites is improved by contribution of MgO according to the predicted insulation breakdown strength after 10 years of specimens added 5.0 wt% of MgO is increased about 2.9 times at RT, and 4.9 times at 100 than Virgin specimen, respectively.