Battery

In Conversation

In conversation: Tony Persson

Scania AB’s head of battery production Tony Persson explains to Rory Jackson his company’s key role in the development of electric vehicles for demanding applications The race to electrify road vehicles is bringing with it a race to develop internal competencies in producing key e-mobility technologies, and battery packs frequently

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Quantix Ultra offers flame protection at 1,200 C

A new material called Quantix Ultra, produced by Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, offers improved fire protection in electric vehicle (EV) drives, having resisted temperatures of up to 1,200 C during testing.

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Amprius rolls out high-density SiCore batteries with extended cycle life

Amprius Technologies, a manufacturer of next-generation lithium-ion batteries, has unveiled its new SiCore product platform, with the aim of revolutionising electric mobility. The company has also branded its existing silicon nanowire platform, SiMaxx, with its current product range of up to 500 Wh/kg and 1,300 Wh/L energy density.

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Comau to design battery testing strategy for Fastest project

Automation solutions provider Comau is tasked with designing the digitalisation and implementation strategy for Fastest, an EU project that aims to accelerate the development of batteries that are safer, more reliable and durable. Turin-based Comau, a Stellantis company, will leverage its long-standing expertise in digitalisation, process simulation and electrification to accelerate the testing and verification of automotive and stationary batteries.

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Adhesives: essential EV enablers

Adhesives are used in vehicles of all kinds, but they are particularly essential in electric vehicles (EVs) because they perform key functions within battery packs and help save weight in body structure, translating into performance and energy efficiency, as David Fetterman, PPG Industries’ global segment director for adhesives and sealants, explains to Peter Donaldson.

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Freudenberg PM’s Battery Pack Liquid Absorbers

Freudenberg Performance Materials has developed an absorbent pad technology for installation inside electric vehicle (EV) battery packs (and outside their modules). These Battery Pack Liquid Absorbers are intended to enable passive climate control through long-lasting moisture management, with repeatable absorption and redrying cycles.

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Dust busters

Dust explosions are a major hazard in many industries, and there are about 2,000 occurrences in factories and refineries across Europe per year. Battery electrode manufacturing is exposed to this type of risk and must take precautions that comply with explosive atmosphere (ATEX) directives.

PS

Extinguishing lithium battery fires

Our battery show report in this issue contains stories on various materials engineered to prevent a thermal runaway in a cell in a lithium-ion pack from spreading and cause a major fire (writes Peter Donaldson). Prevention is better than cure because, rare though they are, thermal runaways in EV lithium-ion batteries contain all four elements of the ‘fire tetrahedron’ – heat, oxygen, fuel and a chemical reaction – making them notoriously hard to extinguish. Putting them out is far from impossible, however.

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Amada Weld Tech highlights TP-AWS3-A touchscreen panel for weld monitoring

highlights their latest advancement in laser weld monitoring technology, the TP-AWS3-A Touchscreen Panel for Weld Monitoring. In today’s global commerce traceability and accountability is of utmost importance, an integrated, accessible, and all-inclusive monitoring system is necessary.

Grid

Structural carbon fibre research

Researchers at Chalmers University in Sweden have shown how the manufacturing of carbon fibres can be tailored for developing structural batteries (writes Nick Flaherty). They worked with Carbon Nexus at Deakin University, in Australia, to build a variety of fibres that are strong enough to use in vehicles but can also store significant amounts of energy. However, the properties of the carbon fibre vary depending on the process parameters and which precursor is being used. Some types of carbon fibre can be very stiff, but have a far too low a storage capacity, and vice versa.