High-Breakdown, Thermally Stable Ceramic Fiber-Reinforced Aramid/Polyphenylene Sulfide Composite Papers for...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Porous defects in aramid insulating paper limit insulation performance and thermal stability.
• High electric field strength and high-power-density operations exacerbate these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the electrical insulation and thermal stability of aramid chopped fibers (ACFs)/poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) composite paper.
• To investigate the effects of incorporating low-cost ceramic fibers (mullite and kyanite) into ACFs/PPS composites.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of mullite and kyanite ceramic fibers into ACFs/PPS composite paper.
• Analysis of porosity, mechanical properties, electrical breakdown strength, and thermal endurance.
• Evaluation of structural stability after exposure to high temperatures and UV irradiation.

Main Results:

• Ceramic fibers formed an interwoven network, reducing porosity and reinforcing the composite.
• Mullite and kyanite incorporated ACFs/PPS papers showed 124% and 81% higher breakdown strengths, respectively.
• Thermal endurance indices significantly exceeded commercial aramid paper, with improved resistance to thermal and UV degradation.

Conclusions:

• The addition of ceramic fibers effectively enhances the electrical and thermal properties of aramid insulating paper.
• The developed ACFs/PPS composite papers demonstrate superior performance and structural stability for extreme environments.
• This research offers a promising low-cost solution for advanced electrical insulation materials.