Effects of atmospheric pressure on tracking failure of Epoxy/SiO2 nanocomposite

Epoxy has become an integral insulating material for electric and electronic devices due to its excellent mechanical and electrical performance. As technology advances, increasing demands on the reliable operation under various operating and environmental conditions are made on materials and components. Based on the viewpoint of material modification, the properties of composite materials can be changed by the nano-particles. Whether the tracking resistance of epoxy nanocomposites can be improved under the combined environments needs better understanding for the reliable application. This paper describes the effects of atmospheric pressure on tracking failure of epoxy/SiO₂ nanocomposites. The nano-SiO₂ particles were mixed into pure epoxy to obtain the epoxy/SiO₂ nanocomposites with the weight ratios of 1, 3, 5, 7 wt%, respectively. The effects of the concentration of SiO₂ and atmospheric pressure on the time to tracking failure was discussed. Obtained results indicate that with the concentration from 0 to 3 wt%, the time to tracking failure shows the increasing tendency and the erosion depth shows the decreasing tendency. But they show the opposite varying tendency with the concentration from 3 to 7 wt%. Additionally, with decreasing the atmospheric pressure, the time to tracking failure increased. Therefore, the experimental results suggest that the tracking resistance of epoxy can be improved by nano-SiO₂ particles and atmospheric pressure.