ELECTRIC VEHICLES | COMPOUNDS
Right: Kostal switched from PA66 to a Durethan PA6 from Lanxess to produce the cover on this on-board battery charger
Lanxess aims to have the range listed under ‘All
Colours’ on the Yellow Card by UL. “In doing so, we will save the processor from the time-con- suming UL certification process if they were to colour the plastic themselves. They can simply use the compound that we have coloured and thus reduce costs,” says Helbich. PA66 has for some time been favoured for components in the cooling circuit of combustion engines for its resistance to coolants. However, the thermal management systems of pure electric powertrains are shifting toward lower temperatures and the long-term thermal resistance of PA6 compounds to water-glycol mixtures is sufficient for most parts. One example of this switch from PA66 to PA6 is the cover for an on-board battery charger cover for use in an all-electric compact vehicle made by Leopold Kostal for a German car manufacturer. Produced in Durethan BKV50H3.0, Lanxess says the large-scale application underlines the point that PA6 compounds do not necessarily have to be hydroly- sis-stabilised to be used in EV cooling applications with glycol-water coolants. The cover withstands temperatures of up to 85°C during vehicle opera- tion and burst loads of up to 10 bar are achieved. “We assume that in the future, PA6 products of this type will become very common in the mass production of covers and other thermal manage- ment components for electric vehicles. That is especially the case for applications such as fluid connectors or control units in the cooling system,” says Helbich.
Changing requirements The different performance needs of EVs are setting new material specifications. Kurt Maschke, Senior Director Global Marketing Automotive at technical compounder Mocom, says: “The requirements for components in the new generations of vehicles have changed significantly. A large number of applications require flame-retardant and EMI-shield- ing properties at temperatures up to 100°C. At the same time, the requirements for components under the hood or
Right: Ascend’s Vydyne AVS compound dampens high frequency vibrations and is use in the Cadillac Lyriq
in the area of thermal management must not be ignored. While ambient temperatures of 150°C and more are still applied to combustion engines, the maximum for an EV is 100°C. In the thermal management of internal combustion engines, these systems are designed in the 120°C to 130°C range. “By contrast, the maximum temperature for electric vehicles is around 90 to 100 °C. This changes the choice of suitable polymers from PA66, PA46, PA6, PPA to PP, PC/ABS and PA6 for a wide range of applications. One example is Mocom’s Altech NXT PP, which is an alternative to
PA66.In addition, the combination of flame retardancy with good hydroly- sis properties offers application opportunities in the field of battery vents, mounting parts, connections and busbars. Alcom HP PBT 2030 FR SB1208-20 (PBT GF30) has been developed specifically for this purpose and has already been approved by well-known automotive manufacturers.” One of the challenges in using PA in electrical
applications is maintaining electrical properties over time, which requires careful stabilisation. The latest addition to Brüggemann’s range of electri- cally-neutral thermal stabilisers is TP-H2217. Developed for reinforced and unreinforced aliphat- ic polyamides with halogen-free flame retardancy requirements, it is said to have neither a corrosive effect on metallic components such as overmould- ed sensors, nor any significant influence on the electrical properties of the polymer it is protecting. “With Bruggolen TP-H2217, compounders can
produce polyamide materials that combine a UL94 V-0 classification, electrical neutrality as well as permanent heat resistance at elevated tempera- tures, and are thus specially tailored to the require- ments of e-mobility,” says Dr Kristina Frädrich, Product Manager at Brüggemann.
NVH challenges Along with the array of electrical-based issues, EVs pose special challenges when it comes to isolating structure-borne noise and vibration. Without the relatively loud internal combustion engine to mask them, vibration-induced noise
26 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2023
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: LANXESS
IMAGE: ASCEND PERFORMANCE MATERIALS
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