The thermal and electrical properties of nano-silicon dioxide filled epoxy systems for use in high voltage insulation

Epoxy resins have proven to be an excellent insulation system in many application due to their excellent mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. This paper details an investigation into micro and nano silicon dioxide (SD and NSD respectively) filled epoxy systems and the resulting thermal and electrical properties of the composite. The effect of addition of the fillers relative to their particle size on the overall properties of a DER 332 epoxy was investigated. The composites were characterised using techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and AC breakdown to analyse the effect the filler has on the composite materials glass transition temperature and uniformity through breakdown variation.