Abstract
In recent years, silicone rubber-based composites have been widely investigated for outdoor applications due to their promising insulating properties. However, mechanical, thermal, and tracking properties of pure silicone rubber are very poor, which restrains its application for long-term performance. In this research work, the influence of microsized alumina trihydrate (ATH) and micro/nanosized silica (SiO$_{2})$ fillers on mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV-SiR) has been studied. SiR-blends with varying amounts of ATH and SiO$_{2}$ particles were prepared by blending in a two-roll mixing mill, compression molding, and postcuring processes in sequence. In order to evaluate relative tracking and erosion resistance of SiR-blends, an inclined plane test (IPT) was conducted in accordance with the ASTM D2303 standard procedure. Surface temperature distribution was recorded using a Fluke-Ti25 infrared camera during IPT experiments. Thermogravimetric analysis was carried out to analyze the thermal stability of ATH and silica-filled silicone rubber samples. Tensile strength, percent elongation at break, hardness, erosion, tracking resistance, and thermal properties were also investigated and discussed. Results showed that the mechanical, thermal, tracking, and erosion performances of SiR-blends are improved by the incorporation of ATH and silica particles, which is governed by filler type, size, and wt. % in the polymer matrix.
Highlights
Since the 1970s, silicone rubber (SiR) has been used for outdoor insulation [1]
This work is the continuation of our previous work in which we investigated the impact of silica particles on mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of EPDM, epoxy, and SiR composites [29]
Preparation of room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV-SiR) composites was performed in a high shear blender (HSM-100LSK) via simple blending followed by hot compression molding and postcuring technique
Summary
Since the 1970s, silicone rubber (SiR) has been used for outdoor insulation [1]. Due to its light weight, unique hydrophobicity, better pollution/contamination performance, easy installation, and excellent insulation properties (resistivity of > 10 12Ω) , SiR composite insulators are broadly employed in high-voltage (HV) transmission and distribution [2]. Alumina trihydrate (ATH) and natural silica have been frequently incorporated into SiR matrixes to tweak mechanical, thermal, tracking, and erosion resistance properties [7,18,19]. This reinforcement is the function of filler size, shape, and dispersion as well as molecular interactions [20]. The investigated SiR composite insulants showed high tracking and erosion resistance as well as enhanced mechanical and thermal properties, indicating great potential for electronic and electrical engineering applications, such as HV transmission and substation insulation. The synergetic impact of microATH and micro/nanosized-SiO 2 fillers and their wt.% on the overall performance of SiR-blends are discussed
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