Electrical conduction and dielectric properties of epoxy/organophilic clay nanocomposite

Abstract

In order to develop electrical insulation material, organically modified layered silicate was incorporated into an epoxy matrix to prepare nanocomposite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation showed that organophillic clay was in an exfoliated state, while hydrophilic clay was not dispersed into nanolayers within the epoxy matrix. Epoxy/organophilic clay (2.8 wt%) nanocomposite was mixed and cured at 150°C for 4.5 hr. I-V characteristics, volume resistance and dielectric properties for the cured nanocomposite were estimated. Current density increased with increasing temperature, and volume resistance decreased with increasing temperature, in neat epoxy and epoxy/ organophilic clay (2.8 wt%) nanocomposite. As frequency increased, the dielectric loss value decreased in the two systems. Copyright © 2013 KIEEME. All rights reserved.