Research on Ultraviolet Resistance Method of Composite Insulators Silicone Rubber Doped With Nano‐TiO₂

Ultraviolet (UV) light is one of the critical factors causing damage to the silicone rubber shed of composite insulators. To effectively enhance the UV resistance of silicone rubber and extend the service life of composite insulators, this study incorporates rutile nano‐TiO 2 to fabricate UV‐resistant silicone rubber composites. Accelerated UV aging tests (4000 h) in a UV aging test chamber compared UV‐resistant and ordinary silicone rubber samples, with multidimensional characterizations—including microstructural analysis, hydrophobicity testing, mechanical testing, dielectric spectroscopy, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)—performed at 1000‐h intervals. The results demonstrate that rutile nano‐TiO 2 significantly enhances the UV resistance of silicone rubber: under identical aging conditions, the degradation of mechanical properties of the UV‐resistant silicone rubber is mitigated; for example, the decrease in tear resistance is reduced by 51%, while its hydrophobicity and dielectric characteristics remain more stable after 2000 h of accelerated aging. The Tanaka model reveals that rutile TiO 2 absorbs UV radiation through hole–electron pair generation and scatters UV radiation through its nanoscale particle size at the bounded layer interface with silicone rubber, and the protection region depends on the interfacial density. This research provides technical guidance for the design and development of UV‐resistant and long‐life composite insulators in power systems.