No. 1051
	Technology and Application of Polymer Nanocomposites as Dielectric and Electrical Insulation
	Investigating R&D Committee on Technology and Application of Polymer Nanocomposites as Dielectric and Electrical Insulation
	Polymer nanocomposites are very attractive materials, because polymers can be much improved in their characteristics by adding a small amount of nano-fillers such as 1 to 10 wt%, while they retain their own original other characteristics. They were put into practical use as engineering plastics in 1990’s. As for dielectrics, results of excellent characteristics of nanocomposites were released for the first time in 2002. Since then, much effort has been made to manufacture and characterize nano- dielectrics. The report deals with many kinds of nano-structured polymers such as epoxy, polyimide, polyamide, polyester- imide, polypropylene, polyethylene, EVA, silicone elastomer, polyester and stylene compounds as well as polymer-polymer nanocomposites. Mechanisms for the emergence of superior characteristics due to nanostructuration remain to be clarified. But much attention has been paid to “interaction zones” between nano-fillers and their surrounding polymer matrices as a research target, and a multi-core model to give fine structures of the interaction zones has been proposed. Material manufacturing technology is important. Nano-fillers with strong agglomerative force should be dispersed homogeneously over polymer matrices. Application may lie in magnet wires, high voltage rotating machines, mold transformers, extruded cables, capacitors, dc cables, polymer insulators, small switchgears, and solid-state substation for the power sector, and electronics parts and elements, and printed circuits for the microelectronics sector. It is expected that theoretical clarification, manufacturing technology and utilization shall be furthered by focusing on material interfaces.
	©2006. The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan