LG Chem and LX Hausys develop material that delays battery thermal runaway

LG Chem and LX Hausys have developed a material delaying battery thermal runaway which can withstand a flame at 1,500 ˚C for more than 20 minutes.
The Special Flame Retardant Continuous Fiber Thermoplastic (Special Flame Retardant CFT) can withstand strong flames and high pressure for more than 14 times longer than existing thermoplastics.

LG Chem’s internal torch test subjected the 1.6 mm thin Special Flame Retardant CFT to temperatures exceeding 1,500 °C and pressure; the material did not melt, run down, or develop any holes even after 20 minutes. This is the industry’s highest level of flame blocking performance.

The Special Flame Retardant CFT incorporates LG Chem’s super flame barrier material technology and LX Hausys’ Continuous Fiber Thermoplastics (CFT) manufacturing technology. The super flame barrier material developed by LG Chem last year had the capacity to withstand flames at temperatures exceeding 1,000 ˚C for more than 10 minutes, the longest time in the world at the time. LX Hausys improved the performance of LG Chem material by applying manufacturing technology that layers in the form of tape.

The Special Flame Retardant CFT is solid and has low deformation under force (high rigidity), therefore it can be used in the top and bottom covers of large battery packs among electric vehicle battery components. It is expected that it will effectively delay the spread of flames in the event of an electric vehicle fire, helping to secure the time required for driver evacuation and fire suppression.

Thermal runaway phenomenon is one of the factors that delays the popularization of electric vehicles and has been considered a pain point for electric vehicle and battery customers. LG Chem and LX Hausys resolved the heat and pressure associated with thermal runaway, which was difficult to withstand with existing plastics, through development of the Special Flame Retardant CFT.

Last year, LG Chem completed the development of super flame barrier materials and established a mass production system. Super flame barrier materials, capable of precise molding, are primarily used in battery modules. As the Special Flame Retardant CFT developed this year is used for the large battery pack cover that encases the module, using both materials together can provide a double barrier against the spread of flames.