SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, is featuring here today at The Battery Show North America 2022 its broad and growing array of thermoplastic materials that are well-suited for electric vehicle (EV) and supply equipment (EVSE) battery applications. At booth #2211, SABIC’s Petrochemicals and Specialties businesses are highlighting their latest material solutions to address battery requirements, including sustainability, efficiency, safety and reliability. Applications, test samples and videos are on display to illustrate and demonstrate the design, manufacturing and performance advantages of plastic-intensive solutions over traditional materials. In addition, SABIC is spotlighting its new strategic BLUEHERO? initiative, an expanding ecosystem of materials, solutions and expertise designed to help accelerate the shift to electric power.

“Electric vehicle manufacturers are focusing on higher efficiency to improve range and performance, which are top consumer issues,” said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, general manager, ETP & Market Solutions, SABIC’s Petrochemicals business. “In addition to exploring higher-voltage batteries, their strategies include replacing traditional battery materials, like metals, with thermoplastics. By reducing weight and expanding design freedom, SABIC’s solutions can help enable long-term efficiency gains. We’re making further advancements through our new BLUEHERO ecosystem, which applies systems engineering principles to help customers enhance EV battery design and manufacturing with thermoplastics.”
 
“The global transition to electrification demands continuous innovation in battery materials to realize the full sustainability potential of EVs,” said Maureen MacDonald-Stein, director, Growth OEMs and Markets, SABIC’s Specialties business. “We combine a broad and diverse portfolio of thermoplastic resins, compounds and copolymers with design, application development and regulatory expertise. These global resources are helping customers reimagine battery design, manufacturing and operation to further enhance environmental benefits and promote circularity. Our high-performance materials can help remove barriers to EV adoption and expand the benefits of clean energy.” 

SABIC’S PETROCHEMICALS BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS EXPANDING SOLUTIONS FOR EV BATTERY NEEDS

Under BLUEHERO, led by the Petrochemicals business, SABIC has been expanding both its portfolio of thermoplastic polymers and its EV expertise to better assist the value chain in addressing challenges, especially the critical safety requirements of batteries exposed to external fires and thermal runaway situations. The business has added a number of flame retardant (FR) materials to its offering, backed by data that demonstrates their potential to withstand high temperatures and pressure loads.

To document these capabilities, the business is presenting at the show, results from rigorous thermal runaway testing based on the new UL 2596 standard for battery enclosure materials. The testing revealed that STAMAX? FR long glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene resin can meet the new UL standard, having passed the test six times in succession without any perforation.
Underscoring the potential of its FR thermoplastics, SABIC is presenting an interactive Virtual Flame Test Lab, which allows show visitors to execute a simulated flame test on samples of aluminum and STAMAX FR resin.
Other exhibit highlights from SABIC’s Petrochemicals business include:

• A visual representation of the BLUEHERO ecosystem, which enables interaction with the value chain across multiple competency areas and product development stages to support solution enhancements
• A Battery Explorer installation allowing visitors to take the virtual battery pack model apart, reassemble it and zoom in to see the specific features and uses of thermoplastics such as FR grades of STAMAX resin and SABIC? polypropylene compounds, as well as FR grades of LEXAN?, CYCOLOY? and VALOX? resins
• Honda’s Silver Edison Award-winning EV battery pack cover that meets stringent fire safety requirements while eliminating thermal blankets and reducing weight by 40 percent vs. a similar design in metal
• An all-plastic prototype EV battery tray with integrated cooling channels and crash protection elements, for up to 12 percent weight savings compared to a tray in an existing aluminum EV battery pack
• A prototype plastic honeycomb structure in XENOY? HTX resin for possible battery pack side impact protection, with significant weight and costs savings vs. metals.

SABIC’S SPECIALTIES BUSINESS FEATURES PROVEN MATERIALS PORTFOLIO

To help EV manufacturers address the demands of higher-voltage batteries, SABIC’s Specialties business is featuring its new NORYL? NHP8000VT3 resin at the show. This high-performance, polyphenylene ether (PPE)-based resin achieves the highest comparative tracking index performance level category (CTI PLC0), provides ultra-thin-wall extrusion and thermoforming capability, and meets the UL94 V0 standard at 0.25 mm with non-brominated, non-chlorinated flame retardance. It is well suited for insulation film used in EV battery modules to help protect against short circuits and fire propagation. The insulation film and a thermoformed part made of NORYL NHP8000VT3 resin are on display at SABIC’s booth.
Other exhibits and solutions from the Specialties business include:

• A lightweight, laminated sandwich panel with honeycomb structures for exceptional acoustic, vibration and thermal insulation, as well as superior dimensional stability at reduced weight vs. metals or thermosets.
• Next-generation battery pack and module prototypes well suited for enclosures and covers, energy absorbers, cell spacers and cell frames, highlighting multiple Specialties products, including NORYL? NHP6012 resin, LEXAN? CX7420 resin and LNP? KONDUIT? compound.

To provide low-temperature ductility performance for robust energy absorption in extremely cold climates, the Specialties business has developed a new NORYL GTX? grade. It is being featured at the booth in a battery side impact rocker protection component that offers high energy absorption and up to 40 percent less weight than metal. This new product, which is in the final stages of commercialization, provides superior property retention over a broad range of temperatures from -40°C to 80°C to address battery requirements such as impact strength and stiffness.
This new NORYL GTX grade can sustain e-coat bake temperatures (≤ 200°C for up to 30 minutes) in the automotive assembly process, thus helping to build multi-material solutions such as metal / plastic hybrids for light-weighting and system cost reduction.
The Battery Show North America is taking place September 13-15, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich.