COMPOUNDS | ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Above: Backrests for the front seats in the ENO.146 concept EV are made using Maezio
carbon-fibre reinforced thermoplastic from Covestro
high impact mass. The weight reduction also extends the range of the electric vehicles that use this technology.” The hybrid composite elements are developed and manufactured by L&L Products at its site in Strasbourg, France. The first step in the manufacture of the reinforcing elements involves forming and overmoulding the Tepex blanks using hybrid moulding technology. The resulting composite component is then coated with an epoxy-based thermally-reactive foam bonding system and mounted on the steel body before the cathodic dip coating (KTL) process. The high temperature during the KTL process cause the structural foam to expand and bond with the high-strength sheet steel, which is also fixed to the A-pillar casing, to produce the reinforcing hybrid insert. Other potential applications for the hybrid composite elements include reinforcing cross members and side members, B and C-pillars, load-bearing battery parts and door components that are critical to safety.
Structural opportunity At K2019, SABIC highlighted the structural lightweighting capabilities of its Xenoy HTX with the example of a 3D printed prototype rocker panel reinforcement designed for electric vehicle battery side protection. When exposed to temperatures of -30°C, SABIC says that many engineering plastics tend to become brittle and fracture under load. Xenoy HTX can deliver low-temperature ductility and a high elongation that enables stable performance under such conditions. In addition, new formulation technology is said to provide enhanced flow, resulting in greater design freedom for complex geometries and cost-efficient part consolidation. The company says hybrid honeycomb designs
using Xenoy HTX could potentially save up to 60% of the weight normally associated with traditional all-metal, multi-piece steel or extruded aluminium crash counter-measures without compromising on dimensional stability, rigidity and mechanical strength. The glass-filled grades are claimed to be particularly suitable for demanding body-in-white structures that must be capable of enduring e-coating cycles of 30 minutes at temperatures between 180-220°C. The HTX grade can also be used to produce other structural parts subjected to high service temperatures, including front-end modules, front brackets and under-the-hood components. SABIC says the lightweighting potential of the compound can offset some of the substantial additional weight of battery modules in EVs. Covestro is also placing development focus on lightweight composite constructions, some based on its Maezio continuous fibre reinforced polycarbonate materials. A lightweight table
Padanaplast aims for battery flexibility with new XLPO grade
Italy’s Padanaplast, which specialises in silane- crosslinkable flame retardant polyolefins for the wire and cable industries, sees the demanding technical specifications for EV applications as a growth opportunity. The latest addition to its
range is an experimental grade 34
— Cogegum GFR 1709-27 — targeted at T4 battery cables requiring high flexibility. The compound joins a Cogegum line-up that also includes two grades that comply with ISO 6722 Class C and SAE J1128 specifications for T3 cable primary insulation — GFR 1401-76 and GFR 1401-190. Padanaplast also offers the
COMPOUNDING WORLD | April 2020
Polidiemme G familyof compounds that are
compliant with EN 50620 and suitable for use in flexible cables for EV charging applications. �
www.padanaplast.com
Right: Padanaplast sees EVs
presenting opportunities for XLPO-HFFR cable compounds
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: COVESTRO
IMAGE: PADANAPLAST/ISTOCK
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