TAGS: Automotive High Heat Materials Thermoplastic Composites
Lotte Chemical has launched a line-up of highly rigid flame-retardant PP products. These products delay the thermal runaway phenomenon in EV batteries through its own flame-retardant technology.
Withstands Temperatures Above 1000°C for More than 600 Seconds
The thermal runaway in EV batteries is a phenomenon in which the internal temperature of the battery increases about 1,000°C or higher. This can be due to electrical shocks which might started from physical impact caused by external irregularities, over-voltage, and over-discharge. The main cause is known as low thermal stability of nickel cathode materials. To protect passengers from this thermal runaway, the materials that would delay the spread of flames are needed.
Lotte Chemical has developed a material with short glass fibers (PP/SGF) and a material with long glass fibers (PP/LGF) to complement the stiffness. Through its own battery thermal runaway simulation test, it was confirmed that PP/SGF withstood longer than 300 seconds and PP/LGF withstood longer than 600 seconds at temperatures above 1,000°C while maintaining the original shape of the molded product.
In addition, the newly developed PP material secured superior performance in screening evaluation (Torch and Grit) according to UL2596. It is a method testing thermal performance and mechanical performance of EV battery enclosure materials.
Halogen-free Resins
The new product has advantages over existing engineering plastics (PA6, mPPO, PPS etc.) in terms of price competitiveness and moldability, as well as weight reduction for molded parts. It is also eco-friendly as it does not contain halogen, a harmful substance that enables flame retardant performance.
Lotte Chemical is promoting high-strength, flame retardant PP materials for EV batteries as materials for various parts such as Module's Busbar Holder and Pack Cover. It is planning to provide various thermal runaway solutions according to market changes and customer requests in the future.
Source: Lotte Chemical
