Influence of Fillers on the Electrical Tracking Behavior of Polyamide Insulating Materials

Thermoplastics, such as polyamide, can be utilized as insulation materials in a variety of high voltage applications due to their eco-friendly, low-energy cost, recyclable and rapid processing, as well as their superior mechanical and electrical properties when compared to conventional thermosetting epoxy. According to the IEEE standard for air switchgear, the insulating material must exhibit excellent tracking and erosion properties. Few studies have been conducted on the inclined plane test (IPT) for thermoplastics. In this paper, a simple and environmentally friendly strategy is proposed to improve the erosion resistance of glass fiber reinforced polyamide. The results suggest that inorganic fillers can improve polyamide’s tracking properties. The superior performance of hybrid filled composites may depend upon enhanced thermal stability and heat conduction properties. Composite materials are capable of passing the 2.5 kV inclined plane test and meeting IEEE criteria if they contain a minimum of 30% BN fillers.