A game-changing advancement in battery safety with the introduction of customised three-dimensional (C3D) fire safety components tailored for lithium-ion electric vehicle (EV) batteries has been unveiled.
German-based Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) said that their technology integrates thermal barriers within battery packs to potentially prevent thermal runaway through increased propagation resistance.
This development comes at a crucial time as the automotive industry anticipates an influx of over 100 million electric cars on roads globally by 2030, each bearing the risk of a thermal runaway due to goals of boosting battery range and minimising recharging times.
According to FST, the lightweight C3D thermal barriers are adaptable for various positions within the battery and have already demonstrated reliability in initial production runs. The developers of the technology are currently trying to meet the pressing demands of the rapidly growing electric vehicle market.
These thermal barriers are forged from heat-resistant, electrically, and thermally insulating materials capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 1200°Celsius. They are made of exceptionally heat-resistant compounded polymers, which allows them to be resilient against particle impacts that often occur during cell venting.
Elastomer solutions, whether in solid or foam form, along with innovative plastic components like the Quantix Ultra (a novel class of plastic with high-temperature stability), are employed in crafting the C3D thermal barriers.
This innovation enables the production of intricate geometries, thus facilitating their application in diverse locations within the battery and allowing for the seamless integration of supplementary components.
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