A Novel Application Of Nano Anticontamination Technology For Outdoor High-Voltage Ceramic Insulators

A novel application of a nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst for improving the performance of the ceramic insulator under contaminated conditions is proposed in this paper. The TiO2-coated insulator was prepared by spraying a certain amount of TiO2 sol on the ceramic insulator followed by subsequent calcination. The physical and chemical properties of the TiO2 film were studied and their influences on the self-cleaning and electrical performances of the ceramic insulator were evaluated. Compared with the uncoated insulators, the as-prepared TiO2-coated insulator exhibited an enhanced self-cleaning ability in a heavy polluted environment because of the excellent photo-induced catalytic performance of the TiO2 film. Moreover, the TiO2-coated insulators presents a flashover voltage level similar to normal ceramic insulators, and even a higher performance of wet flashover than the latter. It was proposed that the semiconducting property and the hydrophilicity of TiO2 films could be responsible for the promoting effect on the electrical performances of the porcelain insulator. This study shows that coating TiO2 films on the surface of insulators may have a promise in preventing pollution flashover.