Iranpolymer/ Baspar SABIC, a global chemicals producer, has introduced SABIC PP compound H1090 resin and STAMAX 30YH611 resin, two materials that the company says are well-suited for sheet extrusion and thermoforming that offer a unique alternative to traditional sheet metal forming, compression and injection moulding, allowing customers to form large, complex structural parts.
These new products are 30 percent glass fibre-reinforced, intumescent, flame retardant (FR) materials, based on polypropylene (PP), and can be used for electric vehicle (EV) battery pack components such as top covers, enclosures and module separators.
SABIC says both grades offer excellent thermal barrier properties to help delay or contain thermal runaway propagation. Furthermore, the extrusion and thermoforming of these materials offer design, system cost, inherent thermal and electrical insulation and weight advantages vs. stamped sheet metal. Compared to injection moulding of thermoplastics and compression moulding for thermosets, which requires expensive tooling and equipment, extrusion and thermoforming the company claims that the materials can be more cost-effective and efficient for several cases.
SABIC says the development and validation of these new materials is made possible by BLUEHERO, an initiative that supports the automotive industry’s mission to create reliable, safe and efficient EVs, with an emphasis on helping optimize structural battery components. BLUEHERO leverages, among other things, SABIC’s knowledge of and expertise in large part molding, compression molding, thermoforming and advanced injection molding.
According to Abdullah Al-Otaibi, general manager, ETP & Market Solutions, SABIC: “By providing new alternatives to traditional materials and processes, SABIC can enable customers to design and manufacture the next generation of battery components while driving down costs and gaining a competitive advantage. Our experts have helped pioneer the successful adaptation of glass fiber-reinforced materials for the extrusion and thermoforming of large, complex, structural parts. The development and validation of these novel resins showcase SABIC’s leadership in polymer technologies for vehicle electrification.”
SABIC claims it has validated the mechanical and fire safety performance and the manufacturability of SABIC PP compound H1090 resin and STAMAX 30YH611 resin in EV battery applications with complex geometries, both in its labs and with customers. These materials not only provide new options for the replacement of sheet metal or thermosets in final applications, they can also be used to create prototypes to determine the feasibility of investing in injection moulding tools.
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