AC breakdown strength enhancement of LDPE nanocomposites using atmospheric pressure plasma

Polymer nanocomposites have been identified to possess superior electrical insulation properties compared to its base polymer. However, weak interfacial interaction between the nanoparticles and the host polymer matrices would result in poor insulation properties. In this study, the surfaces of Boron Nitride (BN) nanoparticles were treated with atmospheric pressure plasma discharge to strengthen the interface between the low density polyethylene (LDPE) matrices and BN nanoparticles. Furthermore, AC breakdown strengths of the untreated and treated LDPE nanocomposites were measured according to ASTM D149 standard. The obtained results were analyzed with 2-parameter Weilbull distribution. Moreover, the treated and untreated nanocomposites were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy in order to characterize the functional groups in LDPE nanocomposite samples after subjected to plasma discharges. It is shown that hydrogen bonds are created in the functional groups of the plasma treated LDPE nanocomposites. The results also show that the AC breakdown strength of plasma treated LDPE nanocomposites sample was improved compared with the untreated LDPE nanocomposites.