PRÜFEN UND MESSEN
TESTING AND MEASURING
Rubber blend  mechanical  thermal 
electrical properties  environmental
conditions.
Silicon rubber (SiR) and ethylene propy-
lene diene rubber (EPDM) were blended
in different ratios and their mechanical,
thermal, and electrical properties were
studied. The results showed that the
tensile strength and the elongation at
break increased by increasing of SiR
content in the blends. Also the thermal
properties were found to be improved.
Whereas by increasing the percent of
EPDM the dielectric strength values of
the blends increased and the tracking
time decreased.
In addition the effects of different envi-
ronmental conditions, (water, 5 and
10 % NaCl and UV irradiation) on those
properties were investigated.
Auswertung von SiR / EPDM
Mischung als Hochspannung-
isolator
Kautschukmischung  mechanische 
thermische  elektrische Eigenschaften
 Umgebungverhälnisse
Silicon-Kautschuk (SiR) und Ethylen-
Propylen-Dien-Kautschuk (EPDM) wur-
den in verschiedenen Verhältnissen ge-
mischt und die mechanischen, thermi-
schen und elektrischen Eigenschaften
wurden untersucht. Die Ergebnisse
zeigten, dass die Zugfestigkeit und
Bruchdehnung mit Zunahme des SiR -
Gehaltes in der Mischung ebenso ver-
bessert wurden wie die thermischen Ei-
genschaften. Bei Erhöhung des EPDM-
Anteils in der Mischung nimmt die di-
elektrische Stabilität zu und die
Trackingzeit ab. Darüber hinaus wurden
die Auswirkungen von unterschiedli-
chen Umgebungverhältnissen (wie
Wasser, Salzwasser: 5 und 10 % NaCl
und UV-Strahlungen) auf die Eigen-
schaften untersucht.
Figures and Tables:
By a kind approval of the authors.
www.kgk-rubberpoint.de
Evaluation of SiR / EPDM Blends
for High Voltage Insulators
Polymers are currently being used as a
construction material for the high volta-
ge outdoor insulators in distribution and
transmission power systems. In the early
days, outdoor insulators were made of
ceramic and glass materials. Recently,
polymeric insulators were developed and
the improvements in design and manu-
facturing have made them more and
more attractive for utilities. Moreover
they have better dielectric properties,
light weight and low costs when compa-
red to the porcelain or glass insulators.
When selecting the insulator, there are
choices that encompass both material
properties and design. There is an increa-
sing interest in power industry worldwi-
de, to understand the degradation pro-
cess and the performance characteristics
of polymer insulating material in severe
pollution conditions [1, 2].
Polymers, such as ethylene propylene
diene rubber (EPDM) and silicon rubber
(Q) are widely used in the wire and cable
industry because of their high perfor-
mance under wet and contaminated
conditions.
EPDM due to its combination of good
electrical properties, costs, flexibility
over a wide temperature range and its
resistance to moisture and weather is
often used as an electrical insulating
material [3, 4].
The intrinsic properties of silicone po-
lymers include flexibility, chemical, ther-
mal and UV resistance, broad tempera-
ture dynamic behavior and long term
stability. These properties have led to
their use in numerous commercial appli-
cations such as sealants, gaskets, rubber
moldings, insulators housing and advan-
ced composites for thermal protection
[5- 8].
Blending of two or more polymers for
property improvement and economic ad-
vantage has gained considerable impor-
tance. A large number of polymer blends
has been proposed for commercial pur-
poses. Blends can be tailored to meet the
requirements of specific applications
[9- 12].
Comparing with silicone rubber, EP-
DM has lower UV and weathering resis-
tance and lower thermal stability, but its
volume resistivity is higher than that of
silicone and it has excellent electrical in-
sulating properties [13]. Thus a suitable
blend of (Q) and EPDM can give a product
with generally superior properties to eit-
her rubber.
In present work our objective is to
prepare a suitable (Q) / EPDM blends
that may lead to a compound with ap-
propriate properties and lower cost that
can be used as high voltage insulator.
Experimental
Material
Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM,
EP96) with Mooney Viscosity (ML 1+4,
257 °F) was obtained from EGYPT AFRICA
S.A.E.
Silicone rubber (SiR) was supplied by EGY
Gates International trading S.A.E.
Dicumyl peroxide 4-methoxy phenol and
NaCl were purchased from Merck, Ger-
many.
Blend preparation
The mixing of EPDM with (SiR) in diffe-
rent ratios 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 wt%
was carried out on a laboratory two roll
mill (470 mm diameter and 300 mm
working distance). The gap between the
two rolls ranged from 3 mm to 1 mm
according to the mixing conditions. The
speed of the slow roll is 24 rpm with a
Authors
J. N. Asaad, A. A. Youssef, L. S.
Nasrat, Cairo, Egypt
Corresponding author:
J. N. Asaad
National Research Centre
Polymers and Pigments
Department
El Behooth St.
12311 Dokki Cairo, Egypt
Tel. +202-33335978
E-mail:
na_jeannette@hotmail.com
KGK · 5 2013 43
 PRÜFEN UND MESSEN
TESTING AND MEASURING

1 2

Fig. 1: Tensile strength values of (SiR) / EPDM blends before and Fig. 2: Elongation at break of SiR/ EPDM blends before and after
after exposed to UV exposed to UV

1 Tab. 1: TGA data of SiR / EPDM blends
Temp. at characteristic weight loss (°C)
SiR / EPDM 25 wt% 50 wt%
wt %
0/ 100 430 470
25/ 75 420 470
50/ 50 500 500
75/ 25 500 530
100/ 0 550 580
gear ratio of 1:1.4. At first, EPDM and
(SiR) were masticated and then 2.5 wt %
of dicumyl peroxide 4-methoxy phenol
was added. The obtained compounds
were then passed through a milling roll
for banding and left overnight before
vulcanization. The vulcanization was car-
ried out in a heated platen press, under a
pressure of about 40 kg-force/cm2 and a
temperature of 152 ±1 °C for 10 min.
The investigated samples were cut
and prepared with dimensions that best
suited to each testing technique.
Technique
Mechanical properties
Tensile strength and elongation at break
of dumbbell-shaped specimens were de-
termined at room temperature (25 ± 1°C)
and after aging using a Zwick tensile
testing machine (model-1425, Munchen,
Germany) and at a crosshead speed of 50
mm/min according to ASTM D 412. The
mean of five measurements was taken
into consideration.
Ultraviolet aging
The samples were subjected to UV radia-
tion for 300 and 500 hours according to
75 wt% Chare yield (%)
700 °C
480 0
500 10
530 18
580 25
– 33
ISO 105 B01. The UV source was a stan-
dard lamp, 500W, manufactured in Eng-
land. The environmental condition was
maintained at 60 ± 5 % relative humidity
and 25 ± 5 °C.
Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)
TGA was measured using macro/micro
thermogravimetric analyzers (TGA 50)
from Shimadzu Tokyo, Japan. The samp-
les were heated from 25 to 800 °C at a
heating rate of 10 °C min-1.
Dielectric properties
The dielectric strength measurements we-
re performed according to IEC 60156 at
room temperature under different envi-
ronmental conditions, namely water, sali-
ne water (5 and 10 % NaCl) and UV irradia-
tion. The imposed voltage was AC 50 Hz.
The test samples were in the form of a
disc with a thickness of 1mm. The com-
position of electrodes was a sphere of
100 mm in diameter on high and low
voltage sides.
Tracking resistance test
Tracking is carried out according to IEC
60587 test method. The samples were in
the form of slab shaped (12 cm × 5 cm × 6
mm). A continuous flow of contaminant
saline water (10 % NaCl) was used. The
distance between the top and bottom
electrode was 50 mm. An AC voltage (4
KV) was applied over the 50 mm distance.
Results and Discussion
In the present investigation, different ma-
terials for outdoor polymeric insulators,
namely silicone rubber (SiR), ethylene–
propylene–diene rubber (EPDM) and their
blends, were prepared and studied in view
of their mechanical, thermal and electrical
properties under different environmental
conditions, namely water, saline water (5
and 10% NaCl) and UV irradiation.
Mechanical properties of SiR / EPDM
The mechanical properties of (SiR) / EP-
DM blends such as tensile strength and
elongation at break % before and after
subjecting to UV radiation for 300 and
500 hr are presented in Figures 1 and 2.
Generally, the presence of (SiR) in the
blends enhances the mechanical pro-
perties that means with increasing the
(SiR) content, the tensile strength, and
the elongation at break of samples in-
creased [13].
The results depicted in Figures 1 and 2
indicate the decrease in mechanical
strength values of all samples under in-
vestigation after UV irradiation. The pos-
sible explanation of this behavior is the
degradation of the polymeric insulators.
The mechanical properties of rubber can
be changed due to UV aging either by
creating or destroying the cross-links
that join the rubber molecules and con-
sequently the tensile strength and the
hardness of rubber can be affected, as

44 KGK · 5 2013 www.kgk-rubberpoint.de


3 4
Fig. 3: TGA curves of SiR / EPDM blends
well as the distance that it can stretch
before breaking [14].
Thermal properties of SiR / EPDM
The thermal stability of the pure (SiR),
EPDM and their blends in different ratios
(0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 wt%) was determi-
ned in terms of percentage of weight
loss at various temperatures as illustra-
ted in Figure 3. It is clear that all samples
show thermal stability up to 300 °C.
The pure (SiR) and EPDM samples ha-
ve one stage weight loss from (400 to
580oC) and (340 to 470 °C) respectively.
Whereas the (SiR) / EPDM blends display
two distinct stages of degradation. As
can be deduced from Table 1, the pre-
sence of (SiR) in the blends improves the
thermal stability of the blends and the
temperature at which 25 %, 50 % and
75 % weight losses occurred are shifted
towards higher temperature by increa-
sing the (SiR) content.
This may be attributed to its proper-
ties which maintain high temperature
and excellent thermal stability compa-
ring to EPDM [14]. The char yield at high
temperature 750 °C was 0 and 33 % for
the pure EPDM and (SiR) respectively.
Whereas (SiR) / EPDM blend have inter-
mediate chare yield percents. These cha-
re yield percent increase from 0 to 25 %
in (SiR) / EPDM blends by increasing the
(SiR) content.
Dielectric strength of SiR/ EPDM
The dielectric strength of an insulating
material can be defined as the voltage
gradient or dielectric stress through the
material at which electrical failure or
breakdown occurs. Polymeric insulators
www.kgk-rubberpoint.de
Dielectric strength (KV/mm)
20
15
10
0
0 25
Fig. 4: Dielectric strength of SiR / EPDM blends in wet conditions
suffer from loss of hydrophobicity, decre-
ased tracking and erosion resistance, and
degradation of their surface under envi-
ronmental conditions [2].
Insulators accumulate deposits of airbor-
ne solid contaminants when subjected to
polluted atmospheres. These contami-
nants usually contain some ionic substan-
ces that form electrolytes and give rise to
surface leakage currents under moist con-
ditions such as fog, rain, dew, or mist.
Figure 4 shows the dielectric strength
values of different (SiR) / EPDM blends in
dry, wet, and salt solutions (5 and 10 %
NaCl). It was observed that in dry condi-
tion the pure EPDM has the highest diel-
ectric strength value (22 KV/mm), while
the pure (SiR) has the lowest one (10 KV/
mm). As can be deduced from Figure 4,
the dielectric strength values of the
blends decrease by increasing the per-
cent of silicone rubber.
The (SiR) / EPDM blends show good
breakdown voltage strength compared
to (SiR) [15].
It is worth noting that after exposing to
water and NaCl solutions all samples
described here exhibit lower dielectric
strength values than those in dry condi-
tion.
It has been reported [16] that the pre-
sence of moisture and salt has a deleteri-
ous effect on the hydrophobicity of the
surface of the polymeric insulators and
hydrolysis reaction will take place. There-
fore the main reason for the failure of
these insulators can be related to loss of
hydrophobicity. Due to the decrease of
hydrophobicity, the surface of the insula-
tor becomes conductive through absorp-
tion of water, resulting in flashover and
PRÜFEN UND MESSEN
TESTING AND MEASURING
Dry
Water
5 % NaCl
10 % NaCl
50 75 100
SiR wt %
irreversible damage of the surface and
consequently, the dielectric strength va-
lues decrease in the same manner.
All samples were also subjected to UV
radiation for 300 hours which was exten-
ded to 500 hours. As reported in litera-
ture, 200 hours of exposure is equivalent
to one year of actual outdoor exposure
assuming that the UV wavelength in the
range 300–400 nm causes deterioration
of polymers [17].
The dielectric strength of the different
samples before and after UV aging is
measured and the results are summa-
rized in Table 2 and Figure 5.
It is quite evident that the dielectric
strength values of the aged samples de-
crease as compared to those of the una-
ged ones and the increasing time of ex-
posure results in more reduction in the
strength. The degradation of the polyme-
ric insulators due to the photon energy
of short wave length is probably the
main reason for the reduction in dielec-
tric strength values after UV irradiation.
As can be seen from the calculated per-
cent of dielectric loss shown in Table 2
the UV withstand capability of the insu-
lators increases by increasing the amount
of (SiR) in the blends [18]
Tracking resistance time of SiR / EPDM
Tracking is the principal factor limiting the
safe working electric stress of modern low
loss insulation in power system applica-
tions. Knowledge of the factors involved in
the deterioration and breakdown of insu-
lation by tracking is essential for the relia-
ble and economic design and operation of
electrical equipment. When high voltage
is connected to the top electrode, current
KGK · 5 2013 45
 PRÜFEN UND MESSEN
TESTING AND MEASURING

5 The aged samples have a lower mechani-

Fig. 5: Dielectric
cal and dielectric strength compared to
Dielectric strength (KV/mm) strength of SiR /
EPDM blends those of the unaged ones.
Unaged before and after
20 aged 300 hr exposed to
aged 500 hr

15

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conditions and AC voltage was measured be an effective way to improve mechani- EPDM polymeric insulators, Electrical In-
and the results are given in Table 3. cal, thermal and electrical properties and sulating Materials, (ISEIM 2001). Procee-
As illustrated in Table 3, the tracking resis- the suitable percentage was found to be dings of 2001 International Symposium
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46 KGK · 5 2013 www.kgk-rubberpoint.de