Insulators developed by Australian engineers have found a way to make power pole insulators more resistant to fire and electrical sparking, preventing dangerous pole-top fires and reducing blackouts.

RMIT University vice-chancellor’s postdoctoral fellow Tariq Nazir, in partnership with researchers at the University of New South Wales, has improved the performance and safety of insulation materials for power poles at the lab scale, with their results and analysis published in the high-impact international journal: Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials.

“Power utilities wash insulators on overhead power lines as a vital maintenance procedure to prevent problems like contamination and electrical sparking, which can cause pole-top fires and power outages,” Nazir says.

“Our proposed silicone rubber composite material offers a potential solution that could save power companies time, maintenance resources and ultimately money from preventing damage to their assets.”

Pole-top fires pose significant challenges to power providers and communities worldwide. In March, pole-top fires cut power from 40,000 homes and businesses in Perth.

The composite material, comprising of chopped fibreglass, aluminium hydroxide and a type of clay derived from volcanic ash as additives, could serve as a protective coating or paint for ceramic and glass insulators and “provide extra defence against environmental factors such as moisture, pollution and fire,” according to Nazir.

With the help of prospective partners, the team will aim to transition to larger-scale production processes for commercial applications and conduct more comprehensive durability testing under simulated outdoor conditions.