Innovative Functional Insulating Materials Development for Advanced Electric Power Apparatuses Outline of NEDO Project

A project titled “Technological development of innovative functional insulation materials for electric power equipment” is adopted for a Strategic Energy-saving Technological Innovation Program/theme setting Business Cooperation Scheme in the fiscal year of 2017 in NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). This research project officially started in September 2017 and lasts till the fiscal year of 2021. The theme of this development is nanocomposite technology in which polymer resin and inorganic nanomaterials are compounded, and functionally gradient material (FGM) in which dielectric constant and resistivity are graded by compounding with inorganic nano or micro fillers. This project aims to develop a high-performance insulating material that could not be realized on the conventional extension line. This article introduces the future prospects from the background, purpose, outline, and contents of the research and development of this project.