Preparation and Characterization of EPDM Nanocomposites for High Voltage Insulation

Abstract

Polymers, in recent years, have been extensively studied and researched due to their impact on modern technologies because they exhibit improved properties with respect to their counterparts. Addition of nanoparticles, i.e. clay, silica, zeolite and mwcnt produce polymer nano-composites with the interlayering of polymer with the nanoparticle. The compound formed as the polymer nanocomposite has shown improved performance which depends basically on the preparation methods and the fillers used in preparation methods. In this research, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) pure and with nanocomposites clay, silica, zeolite and mwcnt in the ratio of 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% respectively are processed in two rolling machines after proper mixing of each component. The prepared sample of EPDM pure and with nanoparticles tested mechanically before and after ageing. The mechanical tests performed on the pure and nanocomposite samples were tensile and elongation test. The mechanical tests exhibit that the samples with nanocomposites outperformed than the pure samples. The mechanical properties of both the samples pure as well as with nanoparticles samples are observed as degraded after the ageing process which clearly founded in this research. The electrical testing of the samples with the partial discharge test has been conducted which shows better breakdown strength of the samples with nanoparticles compared to pure samples.