Aging evaluation of silicone rubber nanocomposites

Discussed in the paper is the aging evaluation of silicone rubber nanocomposites for overhead insulation applications. In the work, various micro-nano composites are prepared for study with microflller, nanoflller, and the combination of microflller and nanoflller with a commercial surfactant to improve the dispersion of the nanoflller. The effect of the surfactant in the composites on the surface hydrophobicity is analyzed by contact angle measurements. Salt-fog chamber, inclined plane, and infrared laser ablation tests are conducted to evaluate the erosion resistance of the filled composites. The results in all three tests show that the combination of microflller and nanoflller with surfactant results in composites with improved erosion resistance to dry band arcing. In addition, a good correlation between the three tests is shown.