Our faculty members in High Voltage Laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Faculty, Electrical Engineering Department are developing zinc-borate filled high temperature vulcanizing (HTV) silicone rubber insulators for HVDC applications, within the framework of interdisciplinary and international cooperation. Usage of silicone rubber insulators has been increasing in Turkish power transmission and distribution systems. Turkey has more than 73 % of the world’s boron mineral reserves. The faculty members hope that borates would be a suitable filler, and a good alternative to some common fillers incorporated with silicone rubber insulators, which will have a widespread impact, and contribute to our county.

S. Ilhan, D. Tuzun and A. Ozdemir, "Comparative Properties of HTV Silicone Rubber for Composite Insulators - ATH and Silica Fillers," in IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 414-422, April 2021.