Feature: Power
EV battery packs have increasing requirements concerning their thermal runaway mitigation. Meanwhile, the aerogel industry is overly dependent on oil & gas and in need of diversification. The two could be a perfect match for each other
traction in the 21st century. The industry has grown in the past 20 years, finding applications mainly in the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. The market is not considered a great a success since its growth has reached a limit; the manufacturing process imposes high prices; there have been several prominent lawsuits; innovations have not propelled adoption; and attempts to diversify silica aerogel uses into other sectors have had minimal success. Until now! In our latest report “Aerogels 2021-2031:
Technologies, Markets and Players”, we provide the current market players, the materials available and being developed, and the applications. A further report “Thermal Management for Electric Vehicles 2021-2031” focuses on the thermal management of batteries in EVs, and includes silica aerogel.
Critics Despite its advancement in automotive applications, silica aerogel as a thermal management tool has its critics: ceramic supporters say that its maximum temperature is not high enough (< 1,000o
compression properties, and both point at its high price. However, since all incumbent and emerging solutions
have weaknesses, it will depend on the OEMs to properly develop the battery packs and safety tolerances to make silica aerogel work in this application. The reality is that silica aerogel’s beneficial properties
are leading to greater market share. There are many dedicated products being launched, offering appropriate balances of properties and thickness, and new solutions integrate silica aerogel into a high-throughput automated manufacturing line. The first adoptions have been in China, and are now expanding to other East-Asian markets as well as North America. We are already seeing a growing number of aerogel manufacturers making significant orders and engagements.
Evolution The evolution of the battery pack continues apace, however. New cell-to-pack architectures, the rise of solid- state batteries, a shifting regulatory landscape, vehicle prices and consumer expectations are all part of the mix. The same is true for the aerogels, with more innovations emerging in both silica and polymer variants – which are also being considered for an inter-cell role. We don’t expect one ‘magic-bullet’ solution to emerge
any time soon; in fact, we expect thermal-runaway mitigation strategies to be combined for maximum effectiveness and for multifunctional needs. The electrification of the automotive sector is
[Image: Kumpan Electric for Unsplash]
completely re-writing the supplier landscape and, as new challenges emerge, this will continue to develop. Silica aerogels will definitely play a role in this critical and potentially highly-lucrative growth opportunity.
www.electronicsworld.co.uk November 2021 33
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