Effects of Gamma Radiation Doses on the AC Electrical Properties of Epoxy Reinforced with Nano-Silica Composites

Abstract

This study reports the effects of gamma radiation on the AC electrical properties of epoxy nano-silica composite sheets with an average thickness of 3 mm. Epoxy reinforced with different nano-silica concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt.%. The epoxy nano-silica composites were exposed to different gamma radiation dosages of 1, 3, and 5 kGy. The data were analyzed before and after gamma irradiation and the results showed that the AC electrical properties of the gamma-irradiated epoxy nano-silica composites varied from those of the non-irradiated samples. We found that there were significant changes in the impedance, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and AC electrical conductivity values of the epoxy nano-silica composites after irradiation, and the AC electrical conductivity and dielectric constant values of the nano-silica composites were enhanced by exposing the samples to gamma radiation because more free electrons were released inside the epoxy nano-silica composites. The AC electrical properties, such as impedance, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and electrical conductivity, of the epoxy nano-silica composites were studied and discussed before and after gamma radiation with different dosages. We found that these AC electrical properties marginally increased with increasing doses of gamma irradiation.