A study on the production and preparation of a new polymer nanocomposite as a light and effective thermal insulation in the industry

Polymer nanocomposites (PNC) consist of a polymer or copolymer having nanoparticles or nanofillers dispersed in the polymer matrix. These may be of different shape (e.g., platelets, fibers, spheroids), but at least one dimension must be in the range of ۱–۵۰ nm. These PNC's belong to the category of multi-phase systems (MPS, viz. blends, composites, and foams) that consume nearly ۹۵% of plastics production. These systems require controlled mixing/compounding, stabilization of the achieved dispersion, orientation of the dispersed phase, and the compounding strategies for all MPS, including PNC, are similar. The transition from micro- to nano-particles lead to change in its physical as well as chemical properties. Thermoplastic polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE), are traditionally one of the most widely used polymer classes with applications in the electric industry, and their nanocomposites have caught the interest of researchers. The linear filler is shown to be beneficial in decreasing the charge injection and hindering the formation of charge packs. So, we demonstrate a novel composite with excellent properties. The low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composite with aligned aluminum oxide (Al۲O۳) fiber has been prepared in electric field conditions. The direction of the Al۲O۳ fiber was parallel to the thickness direction of the LDPE composite. The breakdown strength of the Al۲O۳/LDPE composite with ۰.۲% aligned Al۲O۳ fiber was ۴۹۸ kV/mm, which is higher than other fillers induced. The aligned Al۲O۳ fiber has effect on preventing accumulation of space charge and reducing the amount of free electron in the material. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the LDPE composite (۰.۲۲ W/m·K) was increased to ۰.۸۵ W/m·K when doped with ۰.۵ wt% aligned Al۲O۳ fiber. The present structure provides a new possibility for mass new nanocomposites with excellent microstructures and remarkable functionality.

کلیدواژه ها:

thermal conductivity ، Al۲O۳/LDPE composites ، electrical properties ، space charge