Other insulators
There are many electrical insulation film materials that can act as insulators. These include rubber, silicon dioxide, ceramic, non-ceramic and glasses. These different materials have also various purposes to the extent that only a particular material is exclusively used by some insulators while other materials are avoided. Ceramic insulators are usually used for long term electrical systems. An example for such system is the power lines. Feldspar and clay are among those materials that are used to create the different ceramic electrical insulators. The ceramic insulators usually have a lengthy life span and are able to work after many years while still maintaining their shape and efficiently doing its function despite being subjected to hard conditions. In addition, the ceramics can form complex shapes which are required for an efficient and effective insulation. This then will make them useful for several applications.
When it comes to the degree of resistance to thermal and electrical forces, glass insulators tops the list. Because of this feature, they are ideal for different electrical applications like in incandescent light bulbs. Like the ceramic insulators, glass insulators are also able to hold their shape forever. However, strong impact to the material may shatter them. The downside of glass insulators is that they are much difficult to shape without weakening and distorting the material. This characteristic limits their use.
Non-ceramic insulators are made of various materials. They can be made with complex alloys and plastics. The main benefit that one can get from ceramic insulators is that they are not that costly compared to other insulators. They also weigh lighter than other materials and can be readily used for electrical insulation which is for a long distance. The disadvantage though to non-ceramic insulators is that they tend to break down over time. The primary contributing factor to the break down is extreme weather conditions. This then limits their use especially in systems that have high voltages. Regardless of the disadvantage, there are still plenty of consumer electronics that use non-ceramic insulators.
Rubber insulators are much smaller when compared to the other kinds or types of electrical insulation materials. Rubbers are often used when other alternative materials are too fragile for the job. Despite their small size, rubber materials used as insulators are typically more resistant to breaking and cracking. For example, rubber insulators can be used instead of ceramics or glass in places where fragile insulators have the high risk of breaking or shattering.
Silicon dioxide insulators are ideal for electronics since they can be miniaturized. The discovery of silicon dioxide insulators helped in the creation of electronics found in gadgets or mobile devices and computers.