A Multiscale Surface Engineering Strategy for Flashover Strength Enhancement Using UV-cured Technology

Flashover across polymers' surface is a knotty problem in many fields. UV-cured technology was applied to solve this issue from different scales (i.e. microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic dimension). In microscale, fluorinated monomers with different chemical structures were induced to the polymer surface by UV curing process. The influence of surface molecular structure on vacuum flashover, surface charging behavior were systematically investigated. In mesoscale, a facile method to control surface morphology was proposed. Nano-flakes/UV-cured resin composite was sprayed at the polymer surface, forming a coating layer with enhanced surface charge accumulation resistance and flashover strength withstand ability. From the perspective of electric field regulation (macroscopic dimension), surface layer with graded thickness or permittivity distribution could be fabricated by adjusting the BaTiO₃ fillers content and position in the coating layer. This kind of insulation structure can realize the rapid prototyping of gradient distribution without compromising the bulk characteristics, so as to improve the overall utilization rate of insulation materials. This multiscale surface engineering strategy could integrate many functions into one materials, thereby exhibiting great potential for industrial application.