Aging assessment of silicone rubber materials under corona discharge accompanied by humidity and UV radiation

Mahmood Atif; Muneeb Ahmed; Saeed Usman; Alam Shahid; Al-Ammar Essam A.; Kang Jee-Hyun; Zoubi Wail Al; Choi Dongwhi

doi:10.1515/ntrev-2024-0018

Nanotechnology Reviews (Aug 2024)

Aging assessment of silicone rubber materials under corona discharge accompanied by humidity and UV radiation

Mahmood Atif,
Muneeb Ahmed,
Saeed Usman,
Alam Shahid,
Al-Ammar Essam A.,
Kang Jee-Hyun,
Zoubi Wail Al,
Choi Dongwhi

Affiliations

Mahmood Atif: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, COMSATS University, 57000, Sahiwal, Pakistan
Muneeb Ahmed: Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Saeed Usman: Department of Chemical Engineering, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology, MNS UET, Multan, 60000, Pakistan
Alam Shahid: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, COMSATS University, 57000, Sahiwal, Pakistan
Al-Ammar Essam A.: Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Kang Jee-Hyun: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan38541, Republic of Korea
Zoubi Wail Al: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan38541, Republic of Korea
Choi Dongwhi: Department of Mechanical Engineering (Integrated Engineering Program), Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Yongin, Gyeonggi, 17104, Republic of Korea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2024-0018
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 2850 – 7

Abstract

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High voltage (HV) outdoor insulators are subjected to both electrical and environmental stresses, which may lead to their failure. Among the causes, corona discharge, humidity and UV radiation are considered to be the most damaging factors. Efforts are therefore underway to investigate new materials for improving the performance of insulating systems. In this research work, silicone-based room temperature vulcanized samples filled with alumina trihydrate (ATH), silicon dioxide and magnesium hydroxide (MH) were prepared and exposed to AC corona discharge for a duration of 110 h. The electric discharge was also accompanied by UV radiation and two different humidity levels. Following aging of the test samples, diagnosis was conducted to assess their integrity. Measurements based on determining the static contact angle demonstrated the loss of hydrophobicity of all the materials, while hydrophobicity recovery phenomena revealed that ATH-doped materials demonstrated a comparatively higher increase in the contact angle than in samples filled with silicone dioxide (silica) and MH. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed deep cracks and block-like structures on their surfaces. Similarly, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis indicated the signs of surface oxidation of the aged samples. However, the data of elemental composition exhibited the loss of filler contents as well as that of carbon from the base matrix. The overall assessment showed that resistance to suppress aging is influenced by both the filler type and its concentration in the investigated composites. The ATH-filled composites exhibited outstanding performance when exposed to the rigors of corona discharge and other environmental stresses. This research contributes to materials science and HV engineering by addressing the development of composites for enhanced insulator performance, with future aspects lying in the utilization of nano-composites for advanced functionality and durability.

Published in Nanotechnology Reviews

ISSN: 2191-9089 (Print); 2191-9097 (Online)
Publisher: De Gruyter
Country of publisher: Poland
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology; Science: Chemistry: Physical and theoretical chemistry
Website: https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/ntrev

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