Highly insulating thermoplastic nanocomposites based on a polyolefin ternary blend for high-voltage direct current power cables

Octyl-silane-coated Al₂O₃ nanoparticles are found to be a promising conductivity-reducing additive for thermoplastic ternary blends comprising low-density polyethylene (LDPE), isotactic polypropylene and a styrenic copolymer. The ternary blend nanocomposites were prepared by compounding the blend components together with an LDPE-based masterbatch that contained the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles did not affect the superior stiffness of the ternary blends, compared to neat LDPE, between the melting temperatures of the two polyolefins. As a result, ternary blend nanocomposites comprising 38 wt% polypropylene displayed a storage modulus of more than 10 MPa up to at least 150 °C, independent of the chosen processing conditions. Moreover, the ternary blend nanocomposites featured a low direct-current electrical conductivity of about 3 × 10^-15 S m^-1 at 70 °C and an electric field of 30 kV mm^-1, which could only be achieved through the presence of both polypropylene and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles. This synergistic conductivity-reducing effect may facilitate the design of more resistive thermoplastic insulation materials for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power cables.