The transformation from the combustion to the electric engine entails several imponderabilities for the plastics industry. In part, electric drives have completely different material requirements which are becoming specifically evident with the increasing use of appropriate vehicles.

In electric vehicles, the change in engine technology also entails new requirements for the plastic materials used

Flame Retardancy, Heat and Tracking Resistance of Electric Vehicles

Elektromotoren

Antriebe

Kfz-Elektronik

Elektronik

Elektromobilität

Mobilität

Kunststoffe

Photonik

Optik

Polyamide

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Thermoplaste

Elektronische Bauelemente

Leistungselektronik

Technische Kunststoffe

Hochleistungskunststoffe

Drivers of Electromobility

Teknor Apex presents three halogen-free FR glass-reinforced polyamide compounds with UL94 ratings of V0.

Application example: engine cover in the automotive industry

Automotive

Kunststoff

Bauwesen

Baustoffe

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Andere Werkstoffe

Glass-Reinforced and Halogen-Free Flame-Retardant

Electric-vehicle makers looking for fresh impetus are turning to thermoplastics, as these can be used to  improve the safety, performance and sustainability of the vehicles. Initial application areas for manufacturers can be found in a multitude of components ranging from battery cases to busbars, cooling lines and seals. Things become very interesting when material suppliers offer support in the form of CAE and injection molding analyses.

Thermoplastics play an important role in the batteries of electric vehicles. They help to keep battery temperatures in the optimal range for a long service life and high performance. 

16:9

Improving the Performance of Electric Vehicles with the Right Materials

Electric, Environmentally Friendly, Thermoplastic

The conditions in electric vehicles place high demands on the materials used. Therefore, automakers and suppliers must resort to expensive, high-performance plastics. For many applications, cost-effective alternatives are plastics whose properties have been greatly improved by means of treatment with high-energy electron beams.

Fig. 1. Crosslinked engineering plastics can be used for many different applications in electric vehicles.

Irradiation Crosslinking Replaces High-Performance Plastics with Cheaper Polymers

Strahlenvernetzung

Kunststoffverarbeitung: Verfahren

Kunststoff-Aufbereitung

Electron Booster for Electric Vehicles

Electromobility in particular, but also many other electrical applications, are asking for ever higher demands regarding the electrical properties of thermoplastics. This raises the question of whether the polymers commonly used in this area can still meet these demands. The plastics manufacturer, Lanxess, has now investigated how suitable, for example, polyamide and polybutylene terephthalate are for use at higher voltages and temperatures.

How Suitable Are PA and PBT for High-Voltage Applications?

Polybutylenterephthalat

Against the Current

With the change from internal combustion engines to hybrid and electric vehicles, peak operating temperatures have dropped from 135 °C to 110 °C. At the same time, the number of operating hours compared to combustion engines has increased nine-fold. This has an influence on material selection.

A Comparison of PA66 and PPA for Electric Vehicles

Higher Performance in Water

A focal point of the Lanxess booth at the show this year will be materials for electromobility.

The demonstrator of a near-series- production housing for electric vehicle batteries is one of the highlights at  the Lanxess booth.

Messe K-Kunststoffmesse

kunststoffe-international.com

kunststoffe.de

Demonstrator for EV Battery Housings

Electric vehicles can be charged not only at charging stations, but also wirelessly. Here, the energy exchange takes place between an induction coil positioned in the ground and a receiver coil mounted in the e-car.

Wireless charging could increase the range, and therefore the acceptance of electromobility.

Flame Retardant Polyamide for Inductive Charging Systems

No Cable thanks to Suitable Compounds

Due to the climate change, new fields of development and sustainability topics have come into focus along the added-value chain.

Polyamide continues to be one of the most important technical plastics in the automotive sector, where it enjoys widespread use. This not only applies for classical internal combustion vehicles, but in terms of volume will also be the case for electric vehicles.

Polyamides: Electromobility and Sustainability Boost Developments

Kunststoff-Recycling

Dual Change with Polyamides

Ascend Performance Materials will focus on electromobility and sustainability at K. The company made this announcement at a press conference in advance of the trade show.

Wide Range of PA Innovations

Special plastics are needed for the increasingly widespread 800 V drives of electric cars. Bio-based PPA, for example, represents a sustainable option.

Faster and More Sustainable Charging

PA66 and PBT considerably expand the field of applications for laser sintering by showing better properties than classic PA11 and PA12 materials in most cases.

As a temperature-resistant and flame-retardant material with high mechanical properties, PA66 opens up new application possibilities for laser sintering, such as its use as a sensor holder

PA66 and PBT for Laser Sintering

Selektives Lasersintern von Kunststoff, Metall, Keramik

Verfahren für die additive Fertigung

Pulverbettverfahren

Additive Fertigung

From Injection Molding to  Additive Manufacturing

Styrenics can be polymerized using different technologies and it can be modified with a range of copolymers. The resulting plastics offer a wide range of properties allowing to customize them for different applications. Because of this range of properties they are suitable for many industries. Strong demand is for example driven by the automotive industry, healthcare and the packaging industry.

Styrene copolymers are frequently used in the exterior of vehicles. The Chinese manufacturer Lixiang, for example, uses an ASA for the radiator grill of its electric vehicles

Styrenic Polymers

Verpackungsmaterial

Logistik

Polystyrol

Styrol-Copolymerisate

Medizintechnik

Medizinprodukte

Diverse Shapes and Applications

Lightweight construction, functionality and design are characteristic of material development in all areas of application for PC compounds, composites and films. The range of materials has enormous opportunities when it comes to the mobility of the future, lightweight structural construction with continuous fiber-reinforced composites, 5G technology and medical technology.

In electric vehicles, the original function of the radiator grille, namely to supply air to the engine, is no longer needed. It can therefore be used entirely as a design element, for example by integrating luminous logos and fade-out effects

Polycarbonate (PC)

Recycling

Umweltmanagement

Polycarbonat

Present in a Multitude of Trends

At the first glance, this year’s K was clearly focused on recycling and the circular economy. However, apart from these topics, many novelties were also exhibited in the classical plastics fields such as automotive. And many materials producers showed exciting new developments for electromobility in particular.

In total, 22 BASF materials were used in Hymer’s VisionVenture concept vehicle. Exciting new developments have been used, particularly for the paintwork and for the bathroom wall paneling seemingly made of solid slate

Automotive Trends at the K 2019

Streifinger, Florian

Verbände, Institutionen, Messen

Dienstleistungen

Polyurethan-Schaumstoffe (PUR)

Halbzeuge und Zwischenprodukte

Kunststoff-Halbzeuge

Polyurethan

Electromobility and a Concept Vehicle

Polyamide Specialties for Electromobility

Electrical architecture in an E-car is significantly more challenging than for conventionally powered vehicles. Particularly for insulation of high-voltage (HV) components, the demands on the materials used are increasing. With specially-tailored materials for electric vehicles, challenges in automotive high-voltage technology can be overcome.

Electrification of automotive power trains requires an electricity supply that is capable of carrying higher voltages than those used in vehicles with combustion engines. A clever design of performance electronics in hybrid and electric vehicles is therefore key to cost reduction and a success factor for automotive manufacturers. During development of vehicle concepts, this is reflected in an even more powerful, low-weight and compact design of the electrical architecture. As electromobility evolves, the demands on materials used for the manufacture of individual components are steadily increasing.

All automotive components connected on the various different voltage levels must be constructed for safe operation. Depending on the application, approval requirements for single components are stricter for the high-voltage than for the traditional 12 V/24 V and 48 V classes. Excellent behavior of the materials used under extreme conditions is a prerequisite for a compact vehicle design using thin-walled components.

With Grilamid TR XE 10991, Swiss manufacturer of high-performance polymers EMS-Grivory has developed a new polyamide (PA) which exhibits superior behavior as an insulating material. The PA is designed primarily for use in extrusion processes to produce thin-layer sheathing for metal electric conductors, but is also suitable for injection-molding processes. To date, PA12 has been used as an easily processable and resistant high-performance material, although for applications with less demanding requirements. The PA12 specialty grades Grilamid L XE 3817, Grilamid L XE 4165 and the adhesion-modified variant Grilamid L XE 10951, have proved successful as extrusion materials. Due to its outstanding electrical properties at low thicknesses, Grilamid TR XE 10991 shows superior performance, compared to otherwise excellent PA12 materials, for applications at high-voltage levels.

Improved Volume Resistivity in Comparison to PA12

The volume resistivity of the sheathing materials is determined between 23 °C and 130 °C as a characteristic parameter for the electrical insulation capacity. While the volume resistivity of PA12 drops with increasing temperature, TR XE 10991 maintains a constant level over the whole temperature range (Fig. 1). Grilamid TR XE 10991 also exhibits superior dielectric strength compared to PA12 materials in both a conditioned and dry state (Fig. 2). The suitability of this specialty grade for applications involving high voltages is rounded off with a measured comparative tracking index (CTI) of 825 V. For the end application as conductor sheathing, Grilamid TR XE 10991 provides electric insulation over a wide temperature range and an increased dielectric strength under moist conditions.

In standard tests of sheathed conductors for high-voltage levels, the electric properties are tested in a dry state and stored in an aqueous solution. The combination of constant volume resistivity at higher temperatures and superior dielectric strength in a conditioned state proves to be a crucial factor for success. In order to prevent unintentional contact with high voltages, automotive insulation jackets should not crack or break, even under extreme conditions. Decisive for this is not only optimal behavior under mechanical loading, but also good processability and compatibility with the conductors to be sheathed.

Less Stress Cracking due to Good Thermal Expansion Behavior

No stress cracking of the cable sheathing should occur, especially under thermal loading. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of Grilamid TR XE 10991 remains linear between 0 and 100 °C. As a result, the PA shows similar deformation behavior under changing temperatures as the metals used for high-voltage lines. Formation of stress cracking between cable sheathing and metal conductor is minimized by the similar behavior of the CTE for both materials. This exceptional thermal behavior can also be seen from the heat deflection temperature (HDT, Fig. 3). Compared to PA12, Grilamid TR XE 10991 has a better HDT value under load. This means that Grilamid TR XE 10991 can be used at higher temperatures without suffering loss of function due to deformation.

Moisture-dependent characteristics, typical for PA materials, have been reduced in the new specialty polymer so that it behaves in a nearly identical way to non-hygroscopic materials (such as PE). While the elastic limit of PA12 almost doubles upon conditioning, the specialty polymer outperforms with a difference of only 14 % (Fig. 4). Flawless mechanical characteristics of the PA under the influence of temperature and moisture also contribute to a higher loading capacity of the product during use as a sheathing material.

The rapid advances made in E-mobility with increasing challenges for high-voltage electricity supply, require new specialty polymers with unique property profiles. With excellent intrinsic material properties, such as volume resistivity, dielectric strength and a high comparative tracking index, Grilamid XE 10991 combines all required features for use as insulation material at high voltage levels.

The PA is readily processable, can be applied as a thin layer to automotive components and remains unaffected by the most stringent test conditions. Grilamid TR XE 10991 is available in the characteristic orange color-code (Fig. 5) used for high voltages and in many other colors on request.

EMS-CHEMIE AG  

https://www.ems-group.com

Ausgabenartikel

Fig. 2. Grilamid TR XE 10991 exhibits clearly higher dielectric strength in both a dry and conditioned state than PA12

Fig 3. Grilamid TR XE 10991 exhibits a higher heat deflection temperature (HDT) under load than PA12

Fig. 1. Volume resistivity of Grilamid TR XE 10991 shows a more stable performance at high temperatures compared to PA12

Fig. 4. While the elongation at yield of PA12 differs in a dry and conditioned state by 195 %, the behavior of Grilamid TR XE 10991 remains virtually unchanged

Fig. 5. Orange has established itself as the color for high-voltage components in electric vehicles

Insulation of high-voltage components in electric vehicles makes high demands on the materials used

KU 8-21_EMS - Hauptartikel

 Dr. Doris Abt is Project Manager in Research & Development of EMS-Grivory.

Contact: <a href="mailto:welcome@emsgrivory.com">welcome@emsgrivory.com</a>

issue 02/2023

issue 01/2023

issue 09/2022

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