Influence of environmental factor on hydrophobicity transfer of silicone rubber used for outdoor insulation

摘要

The surface hydrophobicity is a factor that contributes to the superior performance of silicone rubber (SR) in resisting wetting. The most important feature of SR compounds, compared to other polymers, is their ability to recovery from the loss of hydrophobicity. However, the hydrophobicity transfer is deeply affected by the surrounding environment. It is necessary to clarify the influence of the various factors on the hydrophobicity transfer of SR. In this study, HTV SR specimens covered with different pollution layers were respectively exposed to the various temperatures, UV radiation, and corona discharge; furthermore, the hydrophobicity loss and recovery processes were investigated. The results show that the contamination species, pollution layer thickness, pollution level, temperature, UV radiation and corona activity have obvious influence on the hydrophobicity transfer.