High-performing polysulfate dielectrics for electrostatic energy storage under harsh conditions.

High capacity polymer dielectrics that operate with high efficiencies under harsh electrification conditions are essential components for advanced electronics and power systems. It is, however, fundamentally challenging to design polymer dielectrics that can reliably withstand demanding temperatures and electric fields, which necessitate the balance of key electronic, electrical and thermal parameters. Herein, we demonstrate that polysulfates, synthesized by sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) catalysis, another near-perfect click chemistry reaction, serve as high-performing dielectric polymers that overcome such bottlenecks. Free-standing polysulfate thin films from convenient solution processes exhibit superior insulating properties and dielectric stability at elevated temperatures, which are further enhanced when ultrathin (~5 nm) oxide coatings are deposited by atomic layer deposition. The corresponding electrostatic film capacitors display high breakdown strength (>700 MV m-1) and discharged energy density of 8.64 J cm-3 at 150 °C, outperforming state-of-the-art free-standing capacitor films based on commercial and synthetic dielectric polymers and nanocomposites.

Space Charge Dynamics in Epoxy Resins Under the Influence of a Long-Term High Electric Field at Various Temperatures.

As the main insulating material of an ultra-high voltage (UHV) resin impregnated paper (RIP) bushing, epoxy resin accumulates space charge under the DC voltage, which would affect the insulation properties of the bushing. In this article, the evolution of space charge accumulation and dissipation within the epoxy resin samples was measured under the influence of a long-term (24 h) electric field of 60 kV/mm at 40°, 60°, 80°, and 100°C. The experimental results show that the space charge transport in the epoxy sample was a long-time dynamic process. When the temperature was not greater than 60°C, only homocharge accumulation was observed within the samples, and the space charge distribution did not reach a stable state even after 24 h of voltage application. When the temperature was not lower than 80°C, the positive heterocharge accumulation was observed at the interface between cathode and epoxy. Through analysis by fitting and numerical simulation, it was verified that the positive heterocharge accumulation was caused by the limitation of the hole extraction, and the transport of holes within the samples obeyed the jump conductance model.

Dielectric Relaxation Characteristics of Epoxy Resin Modified with Hydroxyl-Terminated Nitrile Rubber.

Utilizing liquid rubber to toughen epoxy resin is one of the most mature and promising methods. However, the dielectric relaxation characteristics of the epoxy/liquid rubber composites have not been studied systematically, while the relaxation behaviours are a critical factor for both micro and macro properties. In this paper, hydroxyl-terminated liquid nitrile rubber (HTBN) is employed to reinforce a kind of room-temperature-cured epoxy resin. The dielectric spectrum is measured and analysed. Results show that two relaxation processes are introduced in the binary composites. The α relaxation of HTBN shows a similar temperature dependence with the ß relaxation of epoxy resin. The interfacial polarization leads to an increase of complex permittivity, which reaches its maximum at 70 °C. In addition, affected by interfacial polarization, the thermionic polarization is inhibited, and the samples with filler ratios of 15% and 25% show lower DC-conductivity below 150 °C. In addition, the α relaxation and thermionic polarization of epoxy resin obey the Vogel‒Fulcher‒Tammann law, while the interfacial polarization and DC-conductivity satisfy with the Arrhenius law. Furthermore, the fitting results of the Vogel temperature of α relaxation, glass transition temperature, apparent activation energy of interfacial polarization and DC-conductivity all decline with HTBN content. These results can provide a reference and theoretical guidance for the assessment of dielectric properties and the improvement of the formulation of liquid-rubber-toughened epoxy resin.

Mechanical and Dielectric Strength of Laminated Epoxy Dielectric Graded Materials.

Laminated epoxy dielectric graded material is a commonly used insulating material with broad application prospects in power equipment. The interlaminar interfaces of laminated epoxy dielectric material between different layers form during its lamination process, and these interfaces are the crucial characteristic structures determining the mechanical and dielectric properties of laminated materials. Therefore, in order to gain a thorough understanding of physic properties behind a certain structural motif, it is necessary to study how these interfacial structures influence the mechanical and dielectric performances of graded materials. In this study, double-layered epoxy resin samples with an interlaminar interface are prepared to study their mechanical and dielectric strength. More importantly, the formation mechanism of the interface, as well as its influence on the mechanical and dielectric strength of this laminated material, is discussed. We found that a cross-linking reaction may take place between epoxy resins at the interlaminar interface, and the degree of cross-linking at the interface should be less than that in the bulk. The mechanical strength of the interlaminar interface is weaker than that of the bulk, and it is reduced by less than 40%. Moreover, the interlaminar interface is inclined to trap carriers, which improves the breakdown strength and arc ablation resistance of the laminated material. Our study of interlaminar interface properties could help in designing epoxy dielectric graded materials with better mechanical and dielectric properties.

Effect of Toughening with Different Liquid Rubber on Dielectric Relaxation Properties of Epoxy Resin.

Liquid rubber is a common filler introduced to epoxy resin to improve its toughness for electrical insulation and electronic packaging applications. The improvement of toughness by adding liquid rubber to epoxy resin leads to the variation of its dielectric properties and relaxation behaviors and it has not been systematically studied yet. In this paper, four kinds of liquid rubber with different polarity were selected and the corresponding epoxy/liquid rubber composites have been prepared. By analyzing the temperature and frequency dependence of dielectric spectra, we found that a lower relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the epoxy/liquid rubber composites could be achieved by reducing the polarity of liquid rubber filler. These results also confirm that the polarity of liquid rubber plays a critical role in determining the α transition relaxation strength of rubber molecules at about -50 °C, as well as the relaxation time of interfacial polarization. In addition, the conductivity of rubber phase with different polarity were investigated by studying the apparent activation energy of interfacial polarization calculated from the Arrhenius plot. This study can provide a theoretical basis for designing high-performance epoxy/liquid rubber composite insulating materials for industrial use.

Microstructure and resistivity of machinable AIN/h-BN ceramic nanocomposites.

The microstructure and resistivity of AIN/BN ceramic nano-composites and micro-composites were investigated. The results showed that because the nano-BN crystals were homogeneously dispersed around the AIN grains of the matrix, the conductive glass phase surround AIN grains were separated, and it was difficult to form the electric conductible consecutive passageway (than micro composites), the leakage conductance of nano-composites was far lower than micro-composites.