Open AccessSynthesis of a novel antiweathering nanocomposite superhydrophobic room temperaturevulcanized (RTV) silicon rubber enhanced with nanosilica for coating high voltageinsulators
Author(s) -
KHALID K ABBAS,
MAYYADAH S ABED,
ALI F JASIM
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
turkish journal of chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.239
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1303-6130
pISSN - 1300-0527
DOI - 10.55730/1300-0527.3361
Subject(s) - contact angle , materials science , composite material , nanocomposite , vulcanization , natural rubber , coating , silicone rubber , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , silicon , dielectric , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , optoelectronics , engineering , metallurgy
A new nanocomposite superhydrophobic of the RTV (room temperature vulcanized) silicon rubber reinforced with a different percentage of nanosilica was prepared by a two-stage sol-gel route to obtain a superhydrophobic surface coating on high voltage glass insulator, preventing the dust-water droplet from adhering to its surface. The cold spraying technique was utilized to build up a thin nanocomposite superhydrophobic layer on the glass insulator containing different percentages of the nanosilica particles, such as 23 wt %, 33 wt %, and 44 wt % with RTV silicon substrate. The synthesized nanocomposite was analyzed using the contact angle, roughness, adhesion, hardness, and dielectric strength tests. Moreover, the prepared RTV silicon rubber/nanosilica superhydrophobic nanocomposite layer was characterized using the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the particle size analysis test. Based on the results, the nanosilica particles were well-incorporated into the RTV silicon rubber, obtaining an excellent homogenous distribution thin layer on its surface, supporting its capability to be a superior superhydrophobic surface. The results reveal that the RTV silicon rubber/33wt % nanosilica was the best as a superhydrophobic behavior with a contact angle reaching higher than 158° ± 3; also, a significant change in the dielectric strength was obtained to be 25.5 kV (using a speed voltage of 5.0 kV/s). Importantly, the flashover test was also conducted, and it was found that there was a significant change in the leak current between the coated and uncoated samples. The leak current of the coated sample with a superhydrophobic nanocomposite was reduced to 2.5 mA, while the uncoated sample became 3.2 mA using a voltage load value of 60 kV. The results presented here may improve the nanocomposite material as an antiweathering superhydrophobic thin layer supported by the prepared nano-SiO 2 particles against the dust-water droplets which may be adhesive to the high voltage glass insulator.