LG Chem is reportedly soon developing a new “plastic product” to prevent thermal leaks that can cause fires in EV batteries. LG Chem did not provide further details regarding the development of the “plastic product”.
“The new advanced flame retardant product created by LG Chem is a highly functional engineering plastic product made from a variety of composites including polyphenylene oxide (PPO) and polyamide (PA) resins.” said LG Chem.
In a test show that the developed plastic is able to “prevent the spread of fire caused by thermal propagation for more than ten minutes at a temperature of 1,000 ° C (1,832 ° F). This ability is claimed to be 10 times longer than ordinary plastics.
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LG Chem claims this is the “world’s longest flame retardant performance” and notes that the plastic product retains its shape under changing and extreme temperature conditions.
In this case, this development is considered very important. Because, the company noted thermal runaway is the main cause of fires from batteries in electric vehicles.
As they already explained, various stressors can cause heat to build up inside the battery cell and when the battery cell exceeds its temperature threshold, a fire can occur due to a short circuit triggered by factors such as overcharging and overdischarging.
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While the risk of fire can never be completely eliminated, plastic products will give drivers and passengers more time to evacuate if the battery is damaged and overheats.
Production is scheduled to begin next year and the company is already in the process of obtaining patents in Korea, the United States, and selected European countries.
