Effect of the grain boundary character distribution on the sulfur corrosion behaviour and mechanisms of copper windings under different high temperatures

Abstract As a typical failure phenomenon in transformers, sulfur corrosion has garnered significant attention in the field of high‐voltage engineering. Grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) copper windings have been introduced to enhance sulfur corrosion resistance by slowing down intergranular corrosion. In this study, the sulfur corrosion behaviour and mechanisms of the GBCD copper windings under various temperatures were experimentally and theoretically studied. Results show that GBCD can enhance the corrosion resistance of copper in liquid environments. With the increase in temperatures, the insulating properties of oil and papers in traditional copper windings experience notable degradation, while GBCD copper windings show more stable insulating behaviours. In addition, modelling of grain boundary energy indicates that the grain boundary structure of GBCD copper windings has a lower average interface energy of 0.170 eV/Å 2 . Calculations of reaction thermodynamics show that GBCD copper windings possess a higher failure temperature (135.2°C) and inhibition degree (activation energy) of the sulfur corrosion (32,557.62 J/mol), revealing the stability and enhanced sulfur corrosion resistance at elevated temperatures.