Abstract
Glass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE) material is used in pressboard transformers for optical telecommunication systems, typically at voltages between 1 to 2kV. A programme has been set up to follow the electrical ageing of the GFRE through dielectric and space charge (PEA) measurements. Here we report on the characterisation of the GFRE prior to ageing made by means of linear dielectric spectroscopy. Preliminary results for the aged samples show differences in dielectric response that could be related to de-bonding at the epoxy-fibre interfaces observed in some failed samples.