Reinforced PDMS Elastomer Nanocomposites: Effectiveness of In Situ Nano-Silica Content on Flashover Voltage and Treeing Phenomena

Large interfacial surface area between the inorganic particles and the polymer matrix has made nanocomposites an interesting composition for a wide range of applications including high-voltage insulating materials. However, nanofiller dispersion is challenging and there is always a specific percolation threshold that narrows the particle content in a polymer dispersion. This research attempt to benefit the in situ silica precipitation technique to avoid all problems associated with nanoparticle dispersion and furthermore introduce a technique to increase the nano-silica content. In this regard, elastomeric silicone nanocomposites loaded with various amount of nano-silica, low to high, is fabricated. It is revealed that the nanocomposite loaded with a high quantity of nano-silica particles exhibited high thermal stability and heat resistivity. Utilized as a coating, this nanocomposite could successfully increase the flashover voltage and present less damage after electrical discharges. Moreover, the electrical treeing investigation illustrates a different distribution of tree structure depending on nano-silica content which could be beneficial in diverse electrical insulating applications.