TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of TiO2 Nanoparticles on the Electrical Aging Life of PP Cable Insulation Materials
AU - Gao, Junguo
AU - Gao, Haibo
AU - Zhang, Yasong
AU - Gao, He
AU - Wang, Zhenlin
AU - Algadi, Hassan
AU - Zhang, Jing
AU - Roymahapatra, Gourisankar
AU - Liu, Liwei
AU - Wu, Zijian
AU - Guo, Zhanhu
PY - 2025/12/5
Y1 - 2025/12/5
N2 - Polypropylene (PP) as an environmentally friendly cable insulation material has become an emerging research topic in recent years. To improve the long-term operational stability of PP cables, this study aims to enhance the electrical aging life of PP by incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles through melt blending, both before and after surface treatment. The dispersion behavior of TiO2 in the PP matrix, the associated functional groups, and the crystallization characteristics of PP were characterized. In addition, polarization depolarization current (PDC) measurements were used to examine the effects of TiO2 on trap depth and density in the polymer. Accelerated electrical aging tests based on the inverse power law were conducted to predict the aging lifespan of TiO2/PP composites and to investigate how the surface treatment of TiO2 influences insulation performance through its effects on particle dispersion and trap distribution. The results indicate that the incorporation of nano-TiO2 effectively enhances the electrical aging lifespan of PP. However, high concentrations of untreated TiO2 lead to particle agglomeration, which reduces performance. Surface modification improves the dispersion of TiO2 in the PP matrix. Notably, adding 0.5wt% surface-treated TiO2 to PP results in the greatest improvement in electrical aging lifespan, as evidenced by a 17.02% increase in the electrical aging lifetime index compared to pure PP and a 14.32% increase compared to TiO2/PP composites containing the same concentration of untreated TiO2.
AB - Polypropylene (PP) as an environmentally friendly cable insulation material has become an emerging research topic in recent years. To improve the long-term operational stability of PP cables, this study aims to enhance the electrical aging life of PP by incorporating TiO2 nanoparticles through melt blending, both before and after surface treatment. The dispersion behavior of TiO2 in the PP matrix, the associated functional groups, and the crystallization characteristics of PP were characterized. In addition, polarization depolarization current (PDC) measurements were used to examine the effects of TiO2 on trap depth and density in the polymer. Accelerated electrical aging tests based on the inverse power law were conducted to predict the aging lifespan of TiO2/PP composites and to investigate how the surface treatment of TiO2 influences insulation performance through its effects on particle dispersion and trap distribution. The results indicate that the incorporation of nano-TiO2 effectively enhances the electrical aging lifespan of PP. However, high concentrations of untreated TiO2 lead to particle agglomeration, which reduces performance. Surface modification improves the dispersion of TiO2 in the PP matrix. Notably, adding 0.5wt% surface-treated TiO2 to PP results in the greatest improvement in electrical aging lifespan, as evidenced by a 17.02% increase in the electrical aging lifetime index compared to pure PP and a 14.32% increase compared to TiO2/PP composites containing the same concentration of untreated TiO2.
KW - Polypropylene
KW - Insulation material
KW - Electrical aging
KW - Surface treatment
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105020007656
U2 - 10.1016/j.polymer.2025.129231
DO - 10.1016/j.polymer.2025.129231
M3 - Article
SN - 0032-3861
VL - 340
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Polymer
JF - Polymer
M1 - 129231
ER -