Title :
The role of inorganic fillers in silicone rubber for outdoor insulation alumina tri-hydrate or silica
Author :
Meyer, L.H. ; Cherney, E.A. ; Jayaram, S.H.
Author_Institution :
Blumenau Univ., Sao Carlos, Brazil
Abstract :
A systematic study to understand how alumina tri-hydrate (ATH) and silica fillers improve the erosion resistance of silicone rubber during dry band arcing showed that the thermal conductivity of the resulting composite material is the main criterion governing material erosion. The thermal conductivity of the composite material is dependent on the thermal conductivity, concentration, particle size, and bonding of the filler particles to the silicone matrix. In this context, either filler can be shown to perform better than the other, depending on the formulation, in the ASTM inclined plane tracking and erosion test. Therefore, the industry perception that ATH filler imports better erosion resistance than silica in silicone rubber can be misleading. The release of water of hydration from ATH appears to have a secondary effect that may be more relevant in silicone compositions having a low concentration of a filler.
Keywords :
arcs (electric); composite materials; silicone rubber; thermal conductivity; alumina tri-hydrate; composite material; dry band arcing; erosion test; inorganic fillers; outdoor insulation; plane tracking; silicone rubber resistance; thermal conductivity; Arc discharges; Bonding; Composite materials; Conducting materials; Insulation; Performance evaluation; Rubber; Silicon compounds; Thermal conductivity; Thermal resistance;
Journal_Title :
Electrical Insulation Magazine, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/MEI.2004.1318835