Charged EVs | Video: potting vs. foam in EV battery packs

With regards to lithium-ion batteries in EVs, the stakes are excessive. A single malfunctioning cell can set off thermal runaway—a speedy, uncontrollable rise in temperature and strain that can lead to fires or explosions. For engineers, stopping this isn’t simply good design—it’s non-negotiable.

Charged just lately chatted with Luka Sovulj from Epic Resins to learn the way their epoxy and polyurethane formulations are designed to guard EV battery methods from moisture ingress, vibration, and thermal occasions. Their merchandise can absolutely encapsulate battery cells—offering a barrier towards environmental stressors whereas contributing to pack security and lifespan. The corporate has over 50 years of expertise in electronics and battery functions.

One of many key capabilities of those potting and coating supplies is to handle thermal and mechanical stresses. When a battery is topic to repeated biking, vibration, or thermal gradients, stress builds up in interfaces and parts. By enveloping these parts in a secure polymeric matrix, the compounds assist dampen shock, cut back micro-cracking, and gradual degradation. Luka notes that thermal runaway is a important security concern; their formulations are engineered to withstand propagation by means of the pack by absorbing or dissipating warmth and stopping growth into adjoining cells.

Epic additionally provides customized formulation flexibility. They’ll tailor viscosity, gel time, filler sort, and density to match a buyer’s particular design or manufacturing constraints. As an example, a low-density filler may very well be used for lightweighting, whereas nonetheless sustaining thermal or mechanical efficiency. Or, quicker treatment instances could align with high-throughput manufacturing traces. This alignment between materials properties and manufacturing workflow is very fascinating in a discipline the place pack design and meeting constraints differ amongst OEMs and suppliers.

Luka additionally contrasts non-cellular elastomers with foam supplies. Not like foams, that are largely composed of air and have restricted structural and thermal efficiency, their elastomeric compounds provide increased tensile energy, higher thermal conductivity, and extra dependable flame retardancy. As a result of their supplies don’t broaden or contract throughout curing, they keep away from inner stresses and sensitivity to ambient circumstances, similar to temperature and humidity. That consistency is a serious profit when scaling from lab samples to massive quantity manufacturing.

Study extra at https://www.epicresins.com/E-Mobility.