LG Chem Develops Plastic Material to Prevent Battery Thermal Runaway

"Preventing Battery Fire Spread for 400 Seconds at 1000℃... Assisting Driver Evacuation"

Researchers at LG Chem examining a newly developed special flame-retardant plastic material. (Photo by LG Chem)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] LG Chem is targeting the market by developing a plastic material that delays the 'thermal runaway' of batteries, the main cause of electric vehicle fires, for the longest time in the world.

On the 25th, LG Chem announced that it has developed a flame-retardant engineering plastic material that prevents deformation caused by heat using proprietary technology and manufacturing methods. Thermal runaway is considered the main cause of electric vehicle battery fires. It is a phenomenon where heat is generated as various causes stress the battery cells. When the internal temperature of the battery rises above a certain level due to short circuits such as overvoltage or overdischarge, it inevitably ignites. Lithium-ion batteries have high reactivity with water, making them difficult to extinguish with water in case of fire.

LG Chem's new special flame-retardant material is a high-performance engineering plastic material with various material groups including polyphenylene oxide (PPO), nylon resin polyamide (PA), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). It has excellent heat resistance, and when applied to electric vehicle battery pack covers, it can block heat for a longer time than general flame-retardant plastics. It has also been confirmed to have excellent 'dimensional stability,' maintaining its shape even with temperature changes. According to LG Chem's own test results, it prevented flame propagation caused by thermal runaway for more than 400 seconds at 1000℃. This performance is known to be more than 45 times better than general flame-retardant plastics. Applying this plastic material to battery pack covers is expected to delay combustion time, prevent flame spread, and help secure time needed for driver evacuation and fire suppression.

LG Chem explained that it has finally developed the world's highest-performance special flame-retardant material applicable to battery packs as a result of continuous research and development (R&D) since 2009 to satisfy customers. It completed the mass production system this year and plans to start product manufacturing from next year according to customer schedules. Patent application procedures are currently underway in Korea, the United States, Europe, and other regions. Based on pack cover supply, LG Chem plans to expand material applications to various industrial fields beyond automobiles.

Kim Steven, Executive Vice President and Head of LG Chem's Engineering Materials Division, said, "It is very meaningful that we have found a solution after more than 10 years of steady research to resolve customer pain points," adding, "We will continue R&D and mass production investments based on world-class compounding technology (a production method mixing two or more industrial materials)." He also said, "Through this, we will lead the rapidly growing e-Mobility material market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.