The effect of silicone fluids on the properties of silicone rubber for composite insulators

A study on the migration phenomena of silicone fluid from the bulk to the shed surface was conducted to examine the integrity of hydrophobicity recovery using dynamic contact angle meter and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition the tracking property of silicone rubber having various silicone fluid contents using inclined plane test (IEC587) is reported. Some silicone fluids were selected under the consideration of their molecular weight and chemical structure, expecting the proper high migration rate, the good pollutant encapsulation, and the long period with good hydrophobicity. They were added to the silicone compounds using roll. It was found that the kind of silicone fluid affected the migration rate of the silicone fluid and hydrophobicity recovery rate of the surface contaminated artificially.