LG Chem develops heat-resistant plastic material for batteries

LG Chem said Monday it has developed a highly heat-resistant plastic material designed to delay thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.

The flame-retardant plastic material can prevent the spread of a flame caused by thermal runaway for more than 400 seconds at the temperature of 1,000 Celsius, about 45 times the performance compared with other fire-retardant plastics, LG Chem said in a release, citing its own test results.

The thermal runaway refers to a situation where the heat in a battery starts to exceed the amount of heat in its surroundings and rises to an uncontrollable state. The excess heat from the battery then affects other batteries and parts in the vehicle, creating high risks of a fire or explosion.

Once the new plastic material is applied to the battery pack cover, it helps delay the spread of fire and buys time necessary for evacuation and fire fighting, the company said.

LG Chem plans to start commercial production from next year, and work is underway for patent applications for the new material in Korea, the United States and Europe, it added.

Yonhap