Influence of surface charge on DC flashover characteristics of epoxy/BN nanocomposites

Epoxy is widely used in electronic and electrical devices because of its excellent insulation properties. The addition of nanoparticles to epoxy could change the material structure and then charge behaviors are altered as a consequence. The accumulation of surface charge may cause electric field distortion, which would lead to surface flashover. In this paper, the samples were made by dispersing nano-scale boron nitride (BN) particles in Epoxy with the weight ratios of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 wt%. The samples were charged by a dc corona triode system using needle-plate electrodes. The distribution of charges was measured with an electrostatic voltmeter and the effect of nanoparticles on charge accumulation and decay behavior was studied. A flashover test was carried out under a dc stress between two finger-type electrodes. The effect of nanoparticles on flashover characteristics and the relation between surface charging and surface flashover were also investigated. The results showed that the traps between nanoparticles and the polymer, which were introduced by the added nanoparticles, could cause surface charge accumulation. In addition, the flashover occurred at a lower voltage because of the accumulated charge on the sample surface.