Kinetics of Charge Accumulation and Decay on Silicone Rubber/SiO2 Nanocomposite Surface

The accumulation and decay of surface charge on silicone rubber (SiR)/SiO2 nanocomposites under a unipolar corona discharge field was investigated. The effect of the weight ratio of SiO2 nanoparticles from 0.1 to 0.7 wt.% was studied. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectra of the SiR/SiO2 nanocomposites indicated that the SiO2 nanoparticles chemically and physically interacted with the SiR matrix. This facilitated the SiR chains in restricting the injection of surface charge into the bulk nanocomposite. SiR composites containing SiO2 nanoparticles (especially that containing 0.1 wt.% SiO2) exhibited significantly reduced surface discharge. This approach may have application in outdoor SiR electrical insulators.