When Foaming Material Meets New Energy Vehicles, Do You Know All These Applications?

When Foaming Material Meets New Energy Vehicles, Do You Know All These Applications?

With the upgrading of new energy vehicle consumption, we are not only concerned about the energy efficiency of new energy, but also have higher requirements for its safety, lightweight and NVH, power battery heat dissipation, VOC!

The Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicle Technology Roadmap 2.0 has set the strategic goal of reducing the lightweight coefficient of fuel oil and pure electric passenger cars by 25% and 35% respectively in 2035.

Foam material has become the new energy “new favorite” in recent years because of its lightweight, flame retardant, sound absorption, shock absorption and other excellent characteristics. Tesla Model 3 battery PACK pack uses a large number of silicone foam potting materials to protect individual cells, prevent heat transfer from the upper part of the battery pack, and effectively prevent thermal runaway.

Let's take a look at what solutions foaming materials can bring to the new energy automotive industry.

I. Power battery heat dissipation & protection

Research shows that 25℃ is the favorite working temperature of electric vehicle battery, the temperature is too high or too low to affect driving safety.

The foaming material can increase the battery's spontaneous combustion temperature by more than 10℃, and extend the battery life by 15%.

Many other manufacturers are now actively promoting the research, development and application of heat dissipation & protection materials for power batteries in new energy vehicles. Help me translate into English as per the original.

1. Micro - porous Polyurethane Foam and Silicone Foam

Micro - porous polyurethane foam, for soft - and square - shaped lithium - ion batteries, suits new - energy vehicle battery pack projects with flexible designs and multi - functional needs. Its long - term compression resistance, resilience to repeated compression, and high flame - retardancy cushion lithium battery layers, boosting soft battery performance and longevity.

Silicone foam features excellent flame retardancy, low toxicity and smoke emission, and is soft and lightweight, meeting the UL94V0 flame - retardancy standard.

Both foams protect batteries from shocks and vibrations, compensate for design tolerances and thickness changes from battery expansion or contraction, and ensure maximum contact between battery and heat - sink sheets.

2. Liquid Foam Silicon Material

Liquid foam silicon material, a silicone - based foam, shows great compression - set resistance. Compared to traditional carbon - based foams, it has superior temperature resistance (-60℃ to 200℃), high flame retardancy (V - 0), and extremely low smoke density. It is mainly used in new - energy vehicle battery PACK sealing, thermal management system support, insulation, and buffering.

3. Ultra - soft Silicone Sponge

Silicone sponge is not only lightweight and soft but also has excellent flame retardancy. Its high flame - retardant effect can delay fire spread from cell fires, increasing escape time, with low smoke and toxicity for enhanced safety. It can be used long - term between -50℃ and 200℃, with better compression and formability, making it a great cell cushioning and padding solution.

II. New Energy Vehicle NVH

According to statistics, about 1/3 of the fault problems in new energy vehicles are directly related to NVH.

Some Tesla electric vehicles use multi - layer sound - proof glass and polyurethane foam materials to insulate door noise. A BMW electric vehicle model uses polyurethane foam materials for sound - proof seats to reduce in - cabin noise, thereby improving the overall vehicle NVH.

It is evident that foam materials are becoming a major force in noise reduction for new energy vehicles.

1. Polyurethane Sound - Absorbing Sponge

High - performance polyurethane foam is often used for acoustic solutions in vehicle components. Its low - density and lightweight formulation effectively prevents noise transmission between the vehicle interior and exterior, with better sound - absorption than traditional polyurethane.

Polyurethane foam can also be used for sound - proofing in battery packs, electric motors, doors, seats, etc., enhancing driving NVH. Additionally, its excellent shock - absorption and durability make it a veteran in automotive NVH applications.

2. Open - Cell EPDM Rubber Foam

Open - cell EPDM rubber foam, with its special semi - closed cellular structure, offers excellent sound - insulation and shock - absorption. It is often used to fill cavities in vehicles and other equipment for noise reduction.

Moreover, EPDM rubber is resistant to heat, cold, corrosion, and aging, with good low - temperature flexibility, resistance to deformation, and environmental - friendliness, making it non - toxic, odorless, and superior in overall performance.

3. IXPE Foam Products

IXPE foam products are made from electron - beam cross - linked polyethylene foam and feature lightweight, airtight, heat - insulating, flame - retardant, and shock - absorbing properties.

IXPE foam effectively reduces interior vehicle noise and vibration, and its excellent waterproof, moisture - proof, and corrosion - resistant properties protect internal vehicle components and extend their service life.

They are commonly used in the interior, exterior, and sealing components of electric vehicles.

III. New Energy Vehicle Lightweight

Experiments show that new energy vehicle lightweight can raise the range by 5% - 10%, cutting energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Currently, many manufacturers are actively advancing the development and application of new energy vehicle lightweight materials.

1. New Foam Material - Foam Aluminum

Foam aluminum is a novel multi - functional material with a unique structure and excellent properties. Its low density and high stiffness, combined with excellent energy - absorption and cushioning insulation, make it ideal for automotive parts. These parts have good kinetic energy absorption and significantly reduce vehicle weight. When used with foam metal, it can reduce part weight by at least 1/3.

2. Micro - Foamed Materials

Micro - foamed materials are non - metal foam materials made from thermoplastic elastomers via micro - foaming injection. Their key advantage is retaining the original properties while reducing weight. For example, a car manufacturer applied physical micro - foaming technology in the VV7 model, cutting product weight by about 10%, and chemical micro - foaming technology in the F7 model, reducing weight by 25% - 28%.