Degradation and Chemical Structure Analysis of the RTV Silane Epoxy Resins in Tropical Climate

Currently the use of outdoor polymeric insulator materials are increasing in electrical distribution and transmission lines. One of them that are very popular is epoxy resins insulation material. There are several advantages of epoxy resins materials such as they have lower density mass, better dielectric properties, and higher volume resistivity compared to porcelain and glasses. However, there are some disadvantages in their application, for example: they are very sensitive in high temperature and in a very humid areas, and in the area receiving high intensity of ultra violet radiation, especially in tropical climate are still unknown well. The effect of silane treatment filler to the epoxy resins materials is expected to provide a better hydrophobic characteristic. Samples of silane epoxy resins materials were made from diglicydyl ether of bhisphenol-A cured by metaphenylene diamine using the value of stochiometric of unity. Then the 325-mesh silica filler treatment will be conducted by varying the silane composition in the room temperature vulcanized. The dimension of a sample was 70 mmtimes70 mm with the thickness of 5 mm. The samples were laid upon an iron construction supporter about 8 m from the ground on Parangtritis beach, which is about 30 km away to the south of Yogyakarta city, for obtaining sea pollution in order to estimate their natural ageing performances. The investigation was carried out after 60 weeks later. Analysis of microstructure of the surface with SEM, indicate that the silane epoxy resins polymeric insulation materials with 60 weeks aging, compared with new materials and the degradation did not happen. Analysis of the chemical structure with FTIR also indicate that the silane epoxy resins polymeric materials after 60 weeks aging, compared with new materials and the chemical structure are not change