Reversible discoloration coating is used to analyze the temperature discoloration characteristics of thermal defects in power equipment connection components

Connection points in power equipment are susceptible to overheating during operation, which can lead to joint burnout and fractures, resulting in forced power outages. This study proposes a reversible color-changing coating method for temperature measurement, aimed at rapidly detecting abnormal heating phenomena at connection points in power equipment. A three-component method was employed to prepare reversible color-changing coatings for the detection of thermal defects at temperatures of 55, 90, and 130 °C. A high-current generator was employed to simulate the heating process of electrical equipment connection components caused by poor contact, with the optimal output current determined to be 1800 A. Taking into account the temperature range and color differences before and after the color change, the optimal quality ratio of the color-changing coating was established. Three types of reversible color-changing coatings underwent thermal aging tests at various temperatures. The results indicated that thermal aging had a minimal impact on both the color-changing performance and the electrical performance of the coatings. After eight days of aging, the flashover voltage measurement was recorded at 10.34 kV/cm, demonstrating that the coating possesses excellent electrical insulation properties.