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A model DC material based on ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) including the pure EPR and the EPR-based nanodielectrics incorporated with two different nanoclays, Kaoline and Talc, under operational conditions was investigated. The operational conditions include a 20 kV/mm electric field at 25 °C, a 20 kV/mm electric field at 50 °C with a thermal gradient, and a 40 kV/mm electric field at 50 °C with a thermal gradient and polarity reversal. Space charge distribution, surface potential, and electrical conductivity were measured to characterize the model DC material and interpret the discrete charge dynamics in the bulk and at the interface of the three samples. The experimental results revealed that the electrical conductivity of Talc-filled nanodielectric has the least dependency on electric field and temperature, which reduces the conductivity gradient across the dielectric. Moreover, the successful suppression of space charge and the lower dielectric time constant in the Talc-filled nanodielectric result in a tuning electric field in the bulk not only under normal operating conditions but also more importantly under polarity reversal conditions. The maximum of absolute charge density decreases from 10.6 C/m 3 for EPR to 2.9 C/m 3 for the Talc-filled nanodielectric under 40 kV/mm with polarity reversal and at 50 °C with the thermal gradient. The maximum of local electric field enhancement for the mentioned condition reduces significantly from 97 kV/mm, 142% enhancement, for EPR to 45 kV/mm, only 12.5% enhancement, for the Talc-filled nanodielectric. 

Advanced polymers with high energy density and high efficiency are urgently needed in pulse power capacitor applications. Here, we present a practical design approach towards all-organic polymers with high energy density and high efficiency by enhancing dipolar polarization at the molecular level. Flexible segments were introduced into the backbones of rigid polar aromatic polymers to increase the flexibility of dipoles. Dielectric spectroscopy measurements of designed polymers revealed multiple strong sub-glass transition (sub- T g ) relaxation peaks with low activation energies, which indicated the enhanced movement freedom of dipoles below the glass transition temperature. As a result, dielectric constants were increased up to 46% when compared with their base polymers and D – E loop measurements showed that all these designed polymers had high energy densities above 11 J cm −3 with efficiencies above 90%. These results unveiled a novel approach towards high dielectric constant organic polymers for electrical energy storage.