DC breakdown strength of epoxy-boron nitride nanocomposites: Trend and reproducibility

Abstract

In this paper, the results of DC breakdown tests on epoxy - boron nitride nanocomposites are presented. Two different synthesis techniques were used for the composite production and each of them resulted in a different particle distribution. The main goal is to evaluate the reproducibility of the experimental results as it is one of the most important issues regarding nanotechnology in the field of polymers. Interestingly, the results show a high consistency and the same trend regardless of the synthesis technique. Nanocomposites with relatively low filler concentrations exhibit a higher breakdown strength (η) than neat epoxy. At higher filler loadings, however, there is a significant decrease in breakdown strength. Furthermore, the effect of the uptake of water on the DC breakdown strength of the nanocomposites is evaluated. The experimental results showed that water uptake plays an important role in the performance of nanocomposites.