Stuttgart, Germany – Huntsman this week introduced new polyurethane, carbon nanotube, and epoxy materials at The Battery Show at Messe Dusseldorf, aimed at improving the integration, protection, and performance of batteries in electric vehicles.
The company's portfolio includes customisable, quick-cure, high-strength PU and epoxy resins which, the company claims, enable the production of battery protection components up to 30% faster than existing technologies. These materials also offer reduced weight, increased strength, and improved structural performance.
Huntsman offers its Rimline WCM system for underbody battery protection. It is a low viscosity liquid resin which the company claims enables the moulding of high fibre volume fraction composites under low pressure, giving long working life and short cure time with easy mould release. This system is formulated for use on high pressure-mix machines.
For battery enclosures, Huntsman offers OEM-qualified Araldite FST resins that allow for the design of flame-retardant composite parts.
For battery underfloor protection, Huntsman has developed three products. Firstly: Rimline FC (foam core) system, which the company says can offer a cost-effective solution for manufacturing lightweight sandwich composites with complex geometries and fast cycle times. Secondly: Rimline LFI (long fibre injection) resin system, which the company says can be moulded into strong stiff parts with a density of – for example – 1100 kg/m3 including 30% glass fibre reinforcement. And, thirdly: its proven Araldite 3031 / 3032 WCM system for fast processing cure time and mechanical stiffness.
For top cover applications, Huntsman’s Vitrox WCM system enables the development of composite lid structures that can help achieve thermal resistance while reducing weight compared to metallic cover alternatives; while it claims its Araldite SMC solutions enable design freedom for semi-structural parts.