Dielectric characterisation of epoxy nanocomposite with barium titanate fillers

High permittivity materials are currently in use for mitigation of electrical stress in high-voltage apparatus and energy storage systems. In this work, epoxy-based high permittivity nanocomposites with Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) nanofillers are considered, for the purpose of stress mitigation. Uniform dispersion of the fillers in the polymer up to 10% by volume is achieved. Apart from the use of as-received fillers, the effect of using surface-functionalised nanoparticles (with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy-silane) before use is also investigated. The nanocomposite is characterised in terms of its complex permittivity, DC conductivity, short-term AC breakdown strength and space charge accumulation, to gauge its suitability for use in high-voltage insulation. Complex permittivity is measured using broadband dielectric spectroscopy over a broad frequency range of 1 mHz to 1 MHz. DC conductivity is studied from polarisation–depolarisation current measurements. Short-term AC breakdown strength tests are performed at power frequency (50 Hz). Space charge density along the sample thickness is obtained using pulsed electro-acoustic technique. A computational case-study is presented to show the feasibility of using the high permittivity nanocomposite for electric stress control in high-voltage equipment (viz., at mounting flanges of 69 kV bushings).