Unveiling the degradation and stability of the insulating properties of Epoxy/CaCO3 derived from snail shell bio-composite

High-voltage insulators were developed from CaCO3 derived from waste snail shell to replace the low-impact energy ceramic insulators. The 15 wt% CaCO3-snail shell/epoxy composite was produced using the solution stir-cast method. The UV radiation test, breakdown and flashover voltages, mechanical properties, tracking, and erosion depth of the developed composite were determined. A 116.7 and 43.82 % enhancement in the flashover voltage and leakage current was obtained at 1000 h of UV ageing. The developed insulator has longer thermal process breakdown strength and increased high-temperature insulation resistance. The properties attained in this work are within the acceptable range for high-tension insulator applications.It was established that waste snail shell could be used in the production of high-voltage insulators with high ultraviolet radiation resistance.