Improving dielectric properties and suppression of partial discharges in fiber/thermoset-matrix composites by polymeric nanofibers
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Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Abstract
The polymeric nanofibrous layers as a new material for possible improving dielectric properties and suppression of partial discharges in fiber/thermoset-matrix composites are introduced in this paper. Electrospun nanofibers made from polybenzimidazole (PBI) and polyimide (PI) were incorporated into the structure of the commonly used fiber/thermoset-matrix composites to enhance their dielectric behavior. PBI and PI were electrospun using a Nanospider laboratory scale machine. The spinning process was set to produce nanofibrous layers with two different areal weights (1 and 3 g.m-2 for composites with PBI and 3 and 5 g.m-2 for composites with PI). Control composites without nanofibers as well as composites containing electrospun PBI and PI nanofibrous layers were manufactured by compression molding in a laboratory press without any previous vacuum debulking. To verify the positive or negative influence of the incorporated nanofibrous layers on the overall dielectric behavior of the composites, the volume resistivity p (Ωm) and dielectric strength Ed(kV.mm-1) were comprehensively measured. Initial results revealed that the volume resistivity of modified composites increased (of about 126 % for PBI and 217 % for PI) as well as the dielectric strength (of about 11 % for PBI and 53 % for PI). Obtained results were subsequently supported by partial discharge analysis which confirmed that the nanofibrous layers are capable to significantly suppress the partial discharge activity inside the composite structure.
Description
Subject(s)
dielectric properties, electro-spinning, electrospun nanofibers, polybenzimidazole (PBI), polyimide (PI), polymer-matrix composites