With the release of its new Quantix ULTRA, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is playing a significant role in improving fire protection in electric vehicle drives. The new class of material is capable of resisting melting, even at extreme temperatures of up to 1,200oC.
Given that today’s vehicles call for lightweight construction, Quantix ULTRA’s lower density compared to metallic materials offer an additional advantage. Electric cars with lithium-ion batteries require a high degree of safety. Various safety measures are being implemented to make sure that any thermal runaway of the battery is prevented or delayed. So far, plastic components used for this purpose have generally failed to meet the automotive industry’s strict test standards for electric drives.
Quantix ULTRA can withstand very high temperatures and does not melt or ignite. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies highlights that in laboratory tests, a 2mm thick material sample can resist an applied flame with a temperature of 1,200oC for over 25 minutes. Further tests were used to simulate the emission of hot particles under high pressure, which can occur if the gases in battery cells are abruptly discharged. Quantix ULTRA withstands the stress test for 20 seconds.
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies uses this innovative material to produce flame protection barriers for the cooling system of lithium-ion batteries, for example. As of February 2024, the material will be used for the first time by a car manufacturer in series production vehicles. Quantix ULTRA is suitable for all applications with high requirements for fire protection and lightweight construction. Moreover, it is not limited to specific geometric shapes. The material can be processed into films, for example, to be implemented in battery-electric drives.
“The new material doesn’t melt at high temperatures; instead, it exhibits elastic behaviour that can be compared to elastomers,” explains Kira Truxius, material expert thermoplastics at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. “It also has a glass transition temperature that is 53K higher, which means that it retains its rigidity and flame protection over a significantly longer period of time. When you add up its qualities, Quantix ULTRA is at the very top of all currently known plastics.”
The base material of Quantix ULTRA is a thermoplastic that is already temperature resistant and the precise addition of fillers such as glass or carbon fibres reinforces the mechanical stability even under enormous heat. The additional cross-linking of the plastic molecular chains ensures that the component maintains its shape even under extreme conditions. The material properties can be adjusted with a focus on the specific application. “Our patented know-how consists of the precise addition of suitable materials that create bridges between the molecular chains. The patents are the result of successful teamwork,” adds Dr. Björn Hellbach, material expert thermoplastics at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.
Quantix ULTRA is easy to process through injection moulding. It shares the associated advantages with other thermoplastics, including the production of complex geometries in short cycle times and thus in large quantities. The patented cross-linking also plays a role in the economical production, as it is solely based on the introduction of a special cross-linking agent into the material while maintaining the standard injection moulding process.
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