Effect of Rutile Phase Titanium Oxide Nanofiller on the Dielectric Properties of Polypropylene Nanocomposites

Polypropylene (PP) which is recyclable and having high working temperature is considered as a potential insulation material for high voltage direct current (HVDC) insulation. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of rutile phase TiO2 on the dielectric properties of PP nanocomposites. Rutile TiO2 was obtained using sol gel method in the laboratory. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was employed to investigate the crystalline and morphological structure of synthesized TiO2. PP nanocomposite were obtained by mixing 0.5 wt%, 1 wt% and 3 wt% rutile TiO2 by using brabender machine. The thermal behavior of PP nanocomposites was characterized through Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Meanwhile, the DC breakdown strength tests were executed to study the dielectric properties of PP nanocomposites. The results of breakdown strength revealed that incorporation of rutile TiO2 significantly decreased the breakdown strength of PP for all systems. The mechanism concerning decreased in DC breakdown strength are discussed.