Comparison of Insulation Breakdown Properties of Epoxy Nanocomposites under Homogeneous and Divergent Electric Fields

This paper focuses on the insulation properties of nanocomposites, which are evaluated under divergent and homogeneous electric fields. Epoxy nanocomposites were made by dispersing nano-fillers. Various kinds of nano-fillers were used, such as layered silicate, silica and titania. Insulation breakdown tests by needle-plate and plate-plate electrode configuration were conducted on the nanocomposites. The insulation properties of nanocomposites are superior to those of the base epoxy resin under a divergent electrical field. In particular, the nanocomposite containing TiO₂ nano-fillers shows unique properties. However, there was no significant difference between the base epoxy resin and the nanocomposites under homogeneous electric fields.