D. Randy James

Electrical properties of epoxy resin based nano-composites

We investigate the electrical properties of composite materials prepared as nano- and sub-micron-scale metal-oxide particles embedded in a commercial resin. The filler particles are barium titanate and calcium copper titanate. The physical and structural characteristics of the constituents and the fabricated composites are reported. Electrical characterization of the composite samples is performed using time- and frequency-domain dielectric spectroscopy techniques. The electrical breakdown strength of samples with nano- and sub-micron-sized particles have better electrical insulation properties than the unfilled resin.

Enhancement of dielectric strength in nanocomposites

In this paper, we report the dielectric breakdown properties of a nanocomposite, a potential electrical insulation material for cryogenic high voltage applications. The material is composed of a high molecular weight polyvinyl alcohol and nanosized in situ synthesized titanate particles. The dielectric breakdown strengths of the filled material samples, measured in liquid nitrogen, indicate a significant increase in their strengths as compared to unfilled polyvinyl alcohol. We conclude that nanometre-sized particles can be adopted as a voltage stabilization additive.

On dielectric breakdown statistics

In this paper, we investigate the dielectric breakdown data of some insulating materials and focus on the applicability of the two- and three-parameter Weibull distributions. A new distribution function is also proposed. In order to assess the model distributions trustworthiness, we employ the Monte Carlo technique and, randomly selecting data-subsets from the whole dielectric breakdown data, determine whether the selected probability functions accurately describe the breakdown data. The utility and strength of the proposed expression are illustrated distinctly by the numerical procedure. The proposed expression is shown to be a valuable alternative to the Weibull ones.

Epoxy nanodielectrics fabricated with in situ and ex situ techniques

In this study, we report fabrication and characterisation of a nanocomposite system composed of a commercial resin and extremely small (several nanometres in diameter) titanium dioxide particles. Nanoparticles were synthesised in situ with particle nucleation occurring inside the resin matrix. In this nanodielectric fabrication method, the nanoparticle precursor was mixed to the resin solution, and the nanoparticles were in situ precipitated. Note that no high shear mixing equipment was needed to improve particle dispersion – nanoparticles were distributed in the polymer matrix uniformly since particle nucleation occurs uniformly throughout the matrix. The properties of in situ nanodielectrics are compared to the unfilled resin and an ex situ nanocomposite. We anticipate that the presented in situ nanocomposite would be employed in high-temperature superconductivity applications. In additions, the improvement shown in the dielectric breakdown indicates that conventional high-voltage components and systems can be reduced in size with novel nanodielectrics.

DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL, POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE), POLYVINYL BUTYRAL RESIN AND POLYIMIDE AT LOW TEMPERATURES

Performance of materials and their compatibility determine the size of the electrical insulation in power equipment. For this reason dielectric properties of electrical insulation materials are needed for low temperature power applications. In this work we report the dielectric properties of four polymers: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinyl butyral resin (PVB), and polyimide (PI–Kapton®). The dielectric measurements are performed with an electrical impedance analyzer in the frequency domain. The impedances are recorded in a cryocooler in the temperature range from 45 K to 350 K. The dielectric breakdown characteristics of the polymers are measured in a liquid nitrogen bath at atmospheric pressure. It is observed that PI and PMMA dissolved in toluene have the lowest dielectric losses for temperatures lower than 100 K. PVB and PI have the smallest spread in their breakdown strength data.

Breakdown properties of epoxy nanodielectric

Recent developments in polymeric dielectric nanocomposites have shown that these novel materials can improve design of high voltage (hv) components and systems. Some of the improvements can be listed as reduction in size (compact hv systems), better reliability, high energy density, voltage endurance, and multifunctionality. Nanodielectric systems demonstrated specific improvements that have been published in the literature by different groups working with electrical insulation materials. In this paper we focus on the influence of in-situ synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the dielectric breakdown characteristics of an epoxy-based nanocomposite system. The in-situ synthesis of the particles creates small nanoparticles on the order of 10 nm with narrow size distribution and uniform particle dispersion in the matrix. The breakdown strength of the nanocomposite was studied as a function of TiO2 concentration at cryogenic temperatures. It was observed that between 2 and 6wt% yields high breakdown values for the nanodielectric.

DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF VARIOUS NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS

Composite materials based on polymers are used in various engineering applications due to their ability to be tailored for a specific application. As a result a composite could be selected or designed for a high performance part such as field grading applications in high voltage technology. Presently, there exists no commercially available material for electric field control. For this reason in this study we characterize a polymeric system composed of a thermoplast polymer filled with nanometer size ceramic particles. Since it is hard to tailor or to predict properties of composites theoretically, an Edisonian approach is employed. Composites with different filler weight concentrations are prepared and their dielectric performance are characterized. Impedance spectroscopy technique at a constant frequency is used to determine the dielectric properties of the composites at low temperatures. Measurement results and potential applications of the composite systems are presented.

Single frequency characterization of a commercial resin

Electrical impedance measurement methods are extensively utilized to characterize dielectric materials. There are not many inexpensive commercially available measurement systems for low frequencies. In this paper an impedance measurement method using an electrometer is presented. The method can be employed for frequencies lower than 100 mHz. To illustrate the usefulness of the presented method, an epoxy resin is characterized and the influence of thermal aging is investigated.