Effect of water absorption on dielectric properties of EPDM/Al(OH)/sub 3/ composites

This paper deals mainly with the effect of water absorption on dielectric properties of EPDM/Al(OH)/sub 3/ composites. The relationship between dielectric properties and water absorption is investigated by accelerated aging. The diffusion coefficient of water in composites is computed, and the mechanism of water absorption of composites is discussed. The results show that permittivity and the loss tangent of the composites is closely related with water content and filler particle size. The filler-polymer and filler-filler interfaces are the main path of water entering the composite, which play an important role in the effect on dielectric properties.