Effect of SEBS on water treeing behaviors of cross-linked polyethylene
We investigated the effect of an aromatic polymer, styrene-(co-ethylene-butadiene)-styrene (SEBS), on water tree resistance of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). The XLPE/SEBS samples were characterized by means of gel content determination, different scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the accelerated water treeing experiment. Our results clearly indicated that the samples with SEBS showed improved water tree resistance in comparison to blank samples. It was also found that the blends had excellent dielectric property form the viewpoint of practical application.
Correlations between the processing variables and morphology of crosslinked polyethylene
Crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) is progressively replacing other types of polyethylene in electric cable insulation because of its combination of better mechanical and thermal performance and good dielectric properties. Besides its influence on the mechanical and thermal properties, the morphology plays a very important role in the electrical behavior of XLPE. The morphology has been studied in terms of the crystallinity and crosslinking density. These two apparently independent parameters govern the morphology of XLPE and have been investigated in connection with the systematic variation of the processing parameters (crosslinker concentration, cure time, and temperature). The materials have been characterized in terms of the extent of crosslinking (the gel content), the crosslinking density (the average molecular weight between crosslinks), and the crystallinity. A morphological model is proposed for these materials in terms of the mechanisms and rates of the processes involved. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 222–230, 2004
Integrating Al with NiO nano honeycomb to realize an energetic material on silicon substrate
Nano energetic materials offer improved performance in energy release, ignition, and mechanical properties compared to their bulk or micro counterparts. In this study, the authors propose an approach to synthesize an Al/NiO based nano energetic material which is fully compatible with a microsystem. A two-dimensional NiO nano honeycomb is first realized by thermal oxidation of a Ni thin film deposited onto a silicon substrate by thermal evaporation. Then the NiO nano honeycomb is integrated with an Al that is deposited by thermal evaporation to realize an Al/NiO based nano energetic material. This approach has several advantages over previous investigations, such as lower ignition temperature, enhanced interfacial contact area, reduced impurities and Al oxidation, tailored dimensions, and easier integration into a microsystem to realize functional devices. The synthesized Al/NiO based nano energetic material is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry.