B175: Development Of A Fire-Resistant Polymer Composite For Electric Vehicle Battery Case Synergistic Thermal Barrier System

MUHAMMAD EIMAN ZULHAKIM BIN MOHAMAD ZAKI Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Perlis

The growing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased the need for lightweight material for batteries, which would not only exhibit good mechanical behavior but also be fire resistant. Even though there are many benefits to using polymers, such as lightweight nature and resistance to corrosion, polymer composites are susceptible to burning during the process of thermal runaway. However, magnesium hydroxide (MDH) is an environmentally friendly fire-retardant filler. The excess amount of MDH adversely affects the mechanical behavior of polymer composites. Thus, in this study, a fire-resistant polyester/MDH composite will be developed for the use in EV battery casings by varying the MDH content. The composites would be manufactured by using the VARI technique, in which MDH loading would vary from 0 wt% to 40 wt%. The manufactured samples would then be subjected to tensile, impact, density, abrasion, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) test, in compliance with ASTM standards. The obtained results would be analyzed in order to evaluate the efficiency of each particular composition. It is estimated that the optimized polyester/MDH composite will have 20-30 wt% of MDH. This will give the optimal balance of both fire resistance and mechanical properties. Glass transition temperature will increase by 5-15%, while density will be increased by 10-20%. Mechanical properties will decrease slightly by 5-15% but will still be appropriate for structural applications. This information will be important for designing lightweight and fire-resistant polymer composites, which can be used in making safer EV batteries, sustainable materials and further researching of automotive composites