Effect of different types of silica particles on dielectric and mechanical properties of epoxy nanocomposites

Polymer insulation is an integral part of electrical equipment. For an electrical insulation system, electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of polymer play a critical role in performance of insulation. Therefore, for reliable insulation system it is imperative to enhance and upgrade the insulating materials properties. In this context nanodielectrics materials can play a crucial role for next generation of insulating materials. Development of nanodielectrics materials with enhanced properties is a complex interplay between filler particle size, its functionalization and uniform dispersion in polymer matrix. In this paper, we report preparation of epoxy nanocomposites with silica particles having varying size and functionality. The epoxy nanocomposite composites were evaluated for their dielectric strength, dielectric dissipation and water absorption and impact properties. Our results shows improvement in dielectric and impact properties for epoxy nanocomposites with functionalized fumed silica nano-particles. Addition of colloidal silica did not show noticeable improvement in dielectric and mechanical properties. Our results for epoxy nanocomposite shows that enhancement of epoxy nanocomposite properties are function of particles size and chemical functionality of filler particles.