Compatibility and Electrical–Mechanical Properties of Air Plasma‐Modified <scp>PP</scp> / <scp>POE</scp> Blends

ABSTRACT In this paper, air plasma is used to modify polypropylene (PP) to improve the compatibility of PP and poly olefin elastomer (POE), and then improve the electrical and mechanical properties of PP/POE cable insulation materials. Firstly, PP insulation material was modified by air plasma, and PP/POE blends of different proportions were prepared. Secondly, the physicochemical properties of PP/POE blends before and after modification were characterized, and their electrical and mechanical properties were tested. Finally, the mechanism of enhancing the compatibility between PP and POE by air plasma and the effect of compatibility on the electrical–mechanical properties of PP/POE blends were analyzed. The experimental results show that after the modification of PP by plasma treatment, the compatibility between the modified PP and POE is significantly improved, and the electrical and mechanical properties of the modified PP/POE (m‐PP/POE) blend are enhanced. Furthermore, the higher the content of POE in the blend sample, the more significant the improvement in the electrical and mechanical properties of the m‐PP/POE blend. When the ratio of PP to POE component is 6:4, the power frequency dielectric loss of modified PP/POE (m‐PP/POE) sample is reduced by about 31.5% (from 9.10 × 10 −4 to 6.23 × 10 −4 ), the volume resistivity is increased by about 2 times (from 3.57 × 10 15 to 6.14 × 10 15 Ω cm), the breakdown field strength is increased by 14.2% (from 63.5 to 72.5 kV/mm), and the elongation at break is increased by 15% (from 1164.88% to 1339.61%). This work provides a new idea for improving the compatibility of PP and POE, and has great reference significance for improving the performance of high‐voltage polypropylene cables under dual‐carbon background.