Mid Sweden University

Polymer composites with metal oxide nanoparticles are emerging materials to be used as insulations in electrical applications. However, the extensive interfacial surfaces and the presence of polar groups on the particle surfaces make these composites susceptible to water sorption. Water sorption kinetics data were taken at 23 °C and different relative humidities (18 to 90 %) for composites based on poly(ethylene-co-butyl acrylate) and aluminium oxide; the latter were in three different forms: uncoated and coated with either octyltriethoxy silane or aminopropyl triethoxy silane). The equilibrium water uptake increased in a linear fashion with increasing concentration of polar groups present on the nanoparticle surfaces. Composites with well-dispersed nanoparticles showed a Fickian sorption process with a diffusivity that decreased with increasing filler content. This effect was most pronounced for composites with accessible polar groups on the particle surfaces suggesting that water saturation of the composites is retarded by dual water sorption. Composites that contained a sizeable fraction of large nanoparticle agglomerates showed a two stage sorption process: a fast process associated the saturation of the matrix phase and slow diffusion process due to water sorption of the large nanoparticle agglomerates.