Comparative study on partial discharge characteristic in polymer-nanocomposite as electrical insulating material

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites have been attracting attention among researchers as electrical insulating application from energy storage to power delivery. However, partial discharge has always been a predecessor to major faults and problems in this field. In addition, there are a lot more to explore as the characteristic of partial discharge in nanocomposites is not clearly understood as well as the electrical properties of the nanocomposites. By adding a few amount of weight percentage (wt%) of the nano fillers, the physical, mechanical and electrical properties of polymers can be greatly enhanced. This is due to its amazing characteristic of having large specific area as a consequential from its nano sized particle that could enhance the electrical properties of the insulator. For instance, nano fillers in nanocomposites such as silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3) and titania (TiO2), play big role in providing good approach to increase dielectric breakdown strength and partial discharge resistance of nanocomposites. Such polymer nanocomposites will be reviewed thoroughly in this paper based on previous experimental works and studies. This paper provides reviews from related publications from year 1997 to 2011 including the results of experimental works which have been conducted by the authors with main focus on partial discharge characteristics in polymer nanocomposites, which demonstrates that research and utilization of polymer nanocomposites has well developed from past decades and will possess a high demand in future as electrical insulating material.