Some Electrical Properties of the High Dam Lake Sediments

Since the foundation of the High Dam at Aswan (Egypt) the suspended silt load of the Nile Flood is annually deposited in the High Dam Lake (Nasser Lake). The bulk deposits accumulated through the years form a major problem. The deposits from four different zones were used to prepare ceramic bodies which were fired at different temperatures (600-1200 °C). In the present investigation the electrical properties of either the raw samples or the fired bodies, including volume resistivity (p), dielectric permittivity (ε + ′) and loss factor (tan δ), were determined. The obtained data clarify that the investigated deposits from the different zones could be used as low-voltage electrical insulators. High-voltage electrical insulators could be recommended using certain additives which will be the subject of further investigation.