Energies, Vol. 19, Pages 44: Prediction of DC Breakdown Strength for Polymer Nanocomposite Based on Energy Depth of Trap
Energies doi: 10.3390/en19010044
Authors:
Xiaohu Qi
Jian Guan
Xuri Xu
Zhen Zhang
Chuanyun Zhu
Chenyi Guo
Qifeng Shang
Yu Gao
Understanding the role of carrier traps in the determination of dielectric breakdown of polymer nanocomposite would yield a novel method for the estimation of breakdown strength of the material. In this study, we propose a novel approach to predict the DC breakdown strength of polyethylene (PE) and its nanocomposite at room temperature via the bipolar charge transport (BCT) model based on trap energy estimated from isothermal surface potential decay (ISPD). Test specimens of polyethylene (PE) and its nanocomposites, with a thickness of 110 μm, were fabricated using the hot-pressing method by incorporating 20 nm SiO2 particles as fillers. The distribution of carrier traps within these specimens was subsequently determined through ISPD measurements. The intrinsic breakdown strength of the sample was derived from the determined trap energy levels, by which the breakdown strength was predicted through the BCT model. Experimental DC breakdown tests were conducted on the specimens to validate the accuracy of the predictions. The results indicated that the DC breakdown strength predicted theoretically was in good agreement with that measured from the experiment. Such a prediction method provides a possible way to employ a non-destructive test to evaluate the DC breakdown strength of polymer nanocomposite.