Flexible Solutions

Thermal Runaway Propagation Prevention with Thermal Barrier Materials

Marian provides custom flexible die cut solutions that are incorporated into battery design at the cell, module and pack level to aid with thermal management. These die-cut parts are made with high temperature resistant materials (also known as flame barrier materials) that are designed to offer thermal insulation to delay the onset of thermal runaway.

Thermal gap pads are made of soft polymer that flows into the air gaps in the interface to aid in the more efficient and effective conduction of heat.

Improvements are being made to the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. Car makers are developing more powerful lithium-ion batteries that have increased range and charge more rapidly. Along with these improvements, enhancing safety is becoming increasingly urgent for electric vehicle development.  As mentioned in our previous blog post, 11 Considerations when Selecting Thermal Interface Materials for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries, Li-ion batteries produce a significant amount of heat while in use and while charging. Along with the use of thermal management materials, placing protective engineered flame retardant insulating materials between the components of the battery cell, module, and pack can offer additional thermal and electrical insulating protection. However, adding such materials can be challenging due to space and weight constraints.

In this post, we outline four materials that can enhance the safety of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles.  Some shared characteristics of these four materials are listed below. 

• ultra-thin
• lightweight
• electrically and thermally insulating
• flame retardant
• can be die-cut and laminated with PSA

Read further for additional detail about each material.

Currently, lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries are the most common type of battery used to power electric vehicles. Today's market is demanding that batteries charge faster and last longer. Because li-ion batteries produce significant heat when in use and charging, thermal management is critical.  Excessive heat can cause irreparable damage to the battery. 

Video Demo: Thermal Resistivity and Conductivity of Silicone Foam

Thermal resistivity and thermal conductivity can be two very important physical features of foam materials for certain applications. Most devices containing electronic components must be designed to deal with heat in one way or another. Electronic circuitry operates most reliably at lower temperatures.  High operating temperatures decrease the service life of the device or module. It is critical for designs to either conduct or isolate heat away from delicate components to ensure ideal operating temperatures.

Nitto TR Thermally Conductive Adhesive Tape Series

\Nitto’s TR series is a must-have for thermal and electronic applications. The TR series features a selection of double-coated tapes including TR-5912F and TR-5925F. These tapes exhibit powerful adhesion and thermal conductivity which accounts for their strength and reliability. Nitto recommends replacing the use of a screw-in an LED or other thermal applications with these thermally conductive adhesives for the best performance. Using the tape method offers superior thermal conductivity performance, and can extend the life of your LED, compared to using the screw method. 

Thermally Conductive Materials in LED Assemblies

Although LEDs are considerably more efficient than traditional lighting forms, they do still produce heat. This heat can have an adverse effect on the LED and therefore must be managed to ensure the true benefits of this technology are realized. If excessive junction temperatures are reached, particularly above the maximum operating temperature of the LED (~120-150˚C), a non-recoverable effect could occur, leading to complete failure. Operating temperature is directly related to the lifetime of the LED; the higher the temperature, the shorter the LED life.

Heat Spreaders

As summer comes to an end, we bring you our final post in our Hot Summer Blog Series exploring Thermal Interface Materials. In this post, we briefly look at heat spreaders.A heat spreader is a heat exchanger that moves heat between a heat source and a secondary heat exchanger whose surface area and geometry are more favorable than the source. Heat spreaders conduct heat in the x,y, and z axes which spreads the heat to a larger surface area for efficient and effective heat dissipation. This heat dissipation keeps devices running at a safe operating temperature.