2-Vinylanthraquinone-grafted XLPE suppresses AC electrical treeing by deep-trap regulation

Electrical treeing is a primary degradation pathway in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation, making enhancement of the tree-initiation voltage (TIV) critical for reliable high-voltage operation. We report a peroxide-assisted grafting strategy that covalently incorporates 2-vinylanthraquinone (VAQ) into XLPE during standard crosslinking, thereby addressing the migration and durability limitations of physically blended stabilizers. The grafted VAQ introduces deep electronic traps and mitigates defect-driven degradation, increasing the characteristic TIV by more than 160 % and markedly suppressing tree growth under AC voltage. This migration-resistant, trap-engineered stabilization provides a practical route to improve long-term insulation reliability and is directly relevant to the design of ultra-high-voltage polymeric cables.