LG Chem, a chemical arm of South Korea's LG Group, has developed a high-performance flame-retardant engineering plastic material that can delay the thermal runaway of electric vehicle batteries for the longest time. Commercial construction of the new material, which will begin in 2023, could help drivers buy time to evacuate and put out fires.
LG Chem said that its flame-retardant engineering plastic material can help prevent the spread of flames caused by thermal runaway even at temperatures of 1,000°C or higher, for more than 400 seconds, more than 45 times that of general flame-retardant plastics. Based on the research in 2009, LG Chem will establish a mass production system in 2023 to achieve commercial production.
On April 25, the head of LG Chem's engineering materials department said in a statement: "We have carried out steady research for more than 10 years in order to solve customer pain points. Based on the world's advanced composite technology, we will continue to develop and scale into production to open up the market to lead the fast-growing electric vehicle materials market.”
Thermal runaway is a chain reaction within the battery that is difficult to stop once it starts. In thermal runaway, the temperature of the battery cells rises very rapidly, potentially causing the battery to explode in extreme cases. Thermal runaway can occur as a result of physical damage to the battery or an internal short circuit caused by poor battery maintenance, overcharging, and rapid charging.
LG Chem, the parent company of LG New Energy (LGES), said its new engineering plastic material is made of polyphenylene ether (PPO), polyamide or high-temperature thermoplastic commonly known as nylon, and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). , while PBT is often used as a thermoplastic engineering polymer for insulators.
LG Chem said that the new plastic material applied to the battery pack cover can delay the burning time in the event of fire, thereby preventing the spread of flames. In addition, the new material can also be used in other industries than battery packs.
