A Comparison between effect of fume silica and POSS (Ph12SQ) on HV Silicone rubber insulators lifetime

Hydrophilic and hydrophobic fume silica and Ph12SQ derivatives were blended into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based HTV silicone rubber as reinforcing filler at loading of 5 % by weight. The thermal stabilities were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The obtained results show the presence of these fillers-rich regions that affect the thermal stabilities of HTV silicone rubber. TGA shows that Td1% is delayed from approximately 260 °C for SR to 345, 335, 275 °C for P5, S5, DD5 (about 45, 35,15 °C) and the Td5% mass loss exhibits a similar trend. Finally, the values of Td5% at different heating rates were applied for comparison of the lifetime of SR, P5, S5 and DD5 samples according to Dobkowski-Rudnik (D&R) kinetic model. The results show that F5 offers a longer…