Dielectric Materials

Almost any type of electrical equipment employs dielectric materials in some form or another. Wires and cables that carry electrical current, for example, are always coated or wrapped with some type of insulating (dielectric) material. Sophisticated electronic equipment such as rectifiers, semiconductors, transducers, and amplifiers contain or are fabricated from dielectric materials. The insulating material sandwiched between two conducting plates in a capacitor is also made of some dielectric substance.

Liquid dielectrics are also employed as electrical insulators. For example, transformer oil is a natural or synthetic substance (mineral oil, silicone oil, or organic esters, for example) that has the ability to insulate the coils of a transformer both electrically and thermally.