A Self-Healing and Electrical-Tree-Inhibiting Epoxy Composite with Hydrogen-Bonds and SiO₂ Particles

Electrical tree growth in the insulation material is a main factor limiting the lifespan of insulation. A new method of increasing the durability and reliability of polymer dielectrics has been proposed by designing a three-phase electrical self-healing composite. SiO₂ micro and nano particles were loaded in the sample which can improve the resistance to electrical tree breakdown. Materials with hydrogen bonds were synthesized and added into epoxy matrix to make the composite self-healable. It is found that both SiO₂ and hydrogen-bonding self-healing material (HSM) can inhibit the electrical trees. Besides the self-healing behavior at the macro level, the incorporation of HSM can also make the micro defects such as electrical tree channel self-healable. The electrical self-healing composite will find a wide application in the field of electronic and electrical engineering.