Effect characteristics of ANFs/SiO2 layer self-assembly on the insulation properties of aramid/epoxy composites

Aramid fiber (AF)-reinforced epoxy (EP) resin composite materials are widely used in the application of insulation rod-reinforced components, but the adhesion performance between AFs and EP resin is poor, which easily leads to interfacial defects and even gradually develops into breakdown, flashover, and other faults. In this study, a simple, environmentally friendly, diverse, and highly designable layer-by-layer self-assembly modification method was adopted to assemble aramid nanofibers/SiO2 onto the surface of AFs. The modified AFs were then used to produce composite materials with EP resin. By testing the interface breakdown, flashover, and leakage current of the AF/EP resin composite materials, the influence mechanism of AF surface modification on the material interface insulation performance was studied. The results show that the insulation performance of the modified composite material first increases and then decreases with the increase in the number of assembled layers, with the maximum increase in breakdown voltage being 93.56% and the maximum increase in flashover voltage being 30.91%.