What Role Do Electrical Insulation Materials Play?
Electrical insulation materials are essential to ensure the safety and performance of equipment such as transformers, motors, coils, or generators. Their primary function is to prevent discharges, energy losses, and overheating, maintaining the thermal and electrical stability of the system.
The most commonly used include specialty papers, polyester or polypropylene films, impregnated fabrics, and composite materials. However, each behaves differently when exposed to temperature, humidity, and mechanical stress.
Technical Properties of Crepe Paper vs. Other Materials
Crepe paper, manufactured by Arrosi with high-purity cellulose fibers and available with FSC® certification, is distinguished by its crimped structure, which gives it excellent elasticity and formability. These features make it easy to adapt to irregular components such as windings or conductors without loss of thickness or dielectric continuity.
In comparison:
- Plastic films (polyester, polypropylene): offer good rigidity and thermal resistance but have limited deformability, making uniform insulation of complex shapes difficult.
- Impregnated synthetic fabrics: perform well under high temperatures but have lower environmental compatibility and less uniform insulation at low voltage.
- Bituminized or impregnated papers: provide moisture resistance but are rigid and heavy, which complicates handling in fine or sharply curved applications.
Crepe paper maintains an optimal balance between flexibility, dielectric strength, and adaptability, making it especially suitable for low- and medium-voltage coils, transformers, and cables.
To learn more about its specific performance, Arrosi details this material’s properties in the article Crepe Paper for Electrical Transformer Insulation.
Functional Advantages and Sustainability of Crepe Paper
Beyond its technical properties, crepe paper stands out for its low environmental footprint and renewable origin. Made from cellulose and free of plastic components, it is biodegradable and recyclable—clearly setting it apart from synthetic films.
Key benefits include:
- Sustainability: made from responsibly managed forest fibers (FSC®).
- Compatibility with impregnation: allows treatment with dielectric oils or resins without losing flexibility.
- Thermal safety: stable across a wide temperature range while maintaining insulating performance.
- Waste reduction: its formability minimizes breakage and trimming during application.
These properties explain why crepe paper remains a key material in many electrical insulation materials applications across transformers, motors, and auxiliary components.
Applications and Suitability by Type of Insulation
Each electrical application requires a material with specific characteristics. Due to its elasticity and dielectric strength, crepe paper is especially used for:
- Insulation of conductors and terminals
- Wrapping of coils and transformers
- Layer interleaving in windings
- Protection against vibrations or thermal expansion
In contrast, plastic films are more suitable when superior chemical or thermal resistance is needed—such as in high-voltage equipment or synthetic oil environments.
Fabrics and bituminized papers, meanwhile, are reserved for applications where moisture or tensile resistance is a priority, although this comes at the expense of flexibility.
Arrosi’s catalog includes solutions tailored to these needs within the field of electrical insulation materials, offering products with different levels of rigidity, porosity, and creping.
Technical Balance and Sustainability
In the comparison of different electrical insulation materials, crepe paper stands out as a well-balanced technical option: combining dielectric performance, mechanical flexibility, and environmental sustainability. Its versatility makes it a competitive alternative to plastic films or impregnated papers—especially when a conformable and renewable material is required.
Arrosi manufactures and supplies technical crepe paper for the electrical industry with full traceability and FSC®-certified quality. You can reach out to our team for any inquiries.
