Polyethylene-based nanodielectric containing Octaisobutyl Polyhedral Oligomeric SilSesquioxanes obtained by hexane slurry blending

Nanodielectrics have attracted the attention of many scientists and industrials as they may present superior dielectric properties compared to conventional dielectric composites. However, the success of these materials relies on a proper dispersion of the nanofiller within the matrix. In this work, the efficacy of hexane slurry blending in obtaining Low Density PolyEthylene (LDPE) based nanodielectric containing 5 wt% Octaisobutyl Polyhedral Oligomeric SilSesquioxanes (OibPOSS) was tested. The resulting dielectric was characterized using atomic force microscopy, optical microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, broadband dielectric spectroscopy and progressive-stress breakdown tests. The results showed hexane slurry blending is a possible yet inefficient way to obtain LDPE/OibPOSS nanodielectric.