Although traditional glass insulators have basic insulation performance, there is still room for improvement in mechanical strength, pollution resistance and other aspects — for example, they are prone to damage due to external impact during long-term operation, and their surfaces are prone to pollution accumulation in heavily polluted areas, leading to flashover accidents. In recent years, the application of nano-doping technology has provided an effective solution to solve these shortcomings and become the core direction of technological breakthroughs in glass insulators.​

In terms of improving mechanical strength, the industry has achieved a performance leap by adding 5-10nm aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) nano-particles to the glass matrix. Aluminum oxide nano-particles have extremely high hardness (Mohs hardness 9, second only to diamond). After being uniformly dispersed in the glass, they can form a "micro-reinforced framework" to prevent the generation and expansion of cracks inside the glass. Tests show that the bending strength of glass insulators added with 3% aluminum oxide nano-particles increases from the traditional 60MPa to 95MPa, and the impact toughness increases by 60%, which can withstand 10J of impact energy (traditional products can only withstand 4J). When ice coating on transmission lines falls off or conductors swing and collide, they are not easy to break. At the same time, nano-particles can also optimize the crystal structure of glass, reduce internal bubbles and impurities, and increase the mechanical performance stability of products by 40%, avoiding local strength weakness caused by uneven materials.​

The improvement of pollution resistance benefits from the "photocatalytic self-cleaning" property of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nano-particles. When traditional glass insulators operate in heavily polluted areas (such as industrial areas, mining areas), their surfaces are prone to accumulate dust and oil stains, which form a conductive layer in humid weather, causing flashover accidents and requiring frequent manual cleaning. Glass insulators added with 2% titanium dioxide nano-particles will stimulate a photocatalytic reaction under UV irradiation, generating hydroxyl radicals with strong oxidizing properties, which can decompose organic pollutants (such as oil stains) on the surface. At the same time, they make water form a "super-hydrophobic" effect on the surface (contact angle greater than 150°), and rainwater can directly wash away dust to achieve "self-cleaning". Test data shows that after operating in heavily polluted areas for 1 year, the surface pollution accumulation of such insulators is only 15% of that of traditional products, and the flashover voltage remains above 90% of the initial value, without manual cleaning, greatly reducing operation and maintenance costs.​

The improvement of anti-aging ability is achieved through the doping of zinc oxide (ZnO) nano-particles. Traditional glass insulators are exposed to UV and high-temperature environments for a long time, and the glass matrix is prone to oxidative decomposition, leading to material embrittlement, decreased transparency and attenuation of insulation performance. After adding 1.5% zinc oxide nano-particles, they can form a "UV absorption center" inside the glass, absorbing more than 90% of UV rays (wavelength 200-380nm), reducing the damage of UV rays to the glass structure; at the same time, zinc oxide can also inhibit the migration of sodium ions in the glass (sodium ion migration will lead to the decrease of insulation performance), so that after the product operates in a high-temperature environment of 80℃ for 1000 hours, the volume resistivity only decreases by 5% (traditional products decrease by 25%), and the anti-aging life is extended to more than 40 years.​

Nano-doping technology not only improves the single performance of glass insulators but also realizes the coordinated optimization of "mechanical strength, pollution resistance and anti-aging", solving the problem of "trade-offs" of traditional products. At present, this technology has moved from the laboratory to large-scale application. Glass insulators using nano-doping are widely used in extreme environment projects such as heavy pollution, high altitude and strong UV, and have become the core technical symbol of high-performance glass insulators.