New Battery Tech Could Prevent EV Fires, Even Stop Them After They Start
EV battery fires are back in the news as Hurricane Helene batters the southeastern United States, submerging EVs and sending some of their batteries into thermal runaway. Between them and the Tesla Semi fire that shut down an interstate for days, it would seem that EV battery fires are a growing hazard that we have yet to reckon with. But that risk may be temporary, as LG Chem claims to have developed a material that can stop battery fires before they start—or even kill them after they do.
In a paper published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, the company outlines the invention of what it calls a “Safety Reinforced Layer.” Likened to an electrical fuse, this consists of a one-micrometer-thick layer of composite material between the cathode and “current collector” that changes its molecular structure when temperatures exceed a “normal” range of 90ºC to 130ºC (194ºF to 266ºF). This drastically increases the layer’s electrical resistance by 5,000 Ohms per 1ºC, reaching a maximum resistance exceeding 1,000 times that of normal operating temps. This helps isolate the cathode and anode, contact between which is a cause of battery fires. These chemical changes are said to reverse themselves when the battery temp returns to normal, so overheating a battery doesn’t mean it’s cooked (so to speak).
In plain English, it’s a thin layer that chemically disrupts the battery circuit and protects its most reactive parts when the battery overheats. Sounds good, but how well does it work? Well, during impact testing, LG Chem says adding the material greatly reduced rates of fires, and even led to fires quickly extinguishing themselves.
