Evaluating Leakage Current, Thermal and Diffusion Properties of Boron Nitride Doped Silicone Rubber Nanocomposites for High Voltage Applications

Incorporation of nanofillers in the base silicone rubber (SiR) matrix may significantly tailor the performance of SiR insulating material used in outdoor high voltage insulation structures. In this context, the present work involves the synthesis and performance evaluation of 1 %, 3 % and 5 % by weight Boron Nitride (BN) doped SiR nanocomposites. In order to access the surface properties, the samples were subjected to water droplet-initiated corona discharges under AC voltages. Further, the corona inception voltage (CIV) and leakage current measurements were made to quantify the changes incurred by each specimen due to corona discharges. In order to characterize the thermal properties, thermographic analysis was carried out. Furthermore, the moisture absorption behaviour of all the nanocomposites was studied through diffusion analysis performed by immersing the test samples in deionized water and then subsequently in aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) solution. In the end, based on the experimental findings, the best nanocomposite formulation is reported.