Electrical Breakdown Characteristics of Sodium Chloride - Water Mixtures

The electrical breakdown characteristics of Na Cl-water mixtures are investigated over the concentration range from pure distilled water to a saturated salt solution at 20°C, The electrode material used is stainless steel and is arranged in a point-plane geometry. The electrode spacing is varced from 1-3 mm giving "average" electric fields as high as 5 MV/m. The voltage and current through the water are recorded as functions of time and used to calculate the conductivity of the mixtures as the breakdown progresses. The time delay between voltage application and catastrophic breakdown is measured as c1 function of the applied electric field and (electrode polarity). These data are analyzed in terms of possible breakdown mechanisms.