Whilst electric vehicle fires are rare and less frequent than those for traditional internal combustion engine cars, the fires can be dramatic and difficult to contain.
Impact damage to one or more of the many cells within the car’s battery pack can cause initiation of “thermal runaway”. All vehicle manufacturers provide significant physical protection to prevent this damage, but in extreme cases, such as high speed impact, damage can occur. The damage starts to overheat the cell, which then sets off a domino effect that can start a fire.
As part of preventing and mitigating serious fires, Hankuk Carbon has developed a glass-fiber based composite material that is tough, light, electrically insulating and highly fire retarded.
This new composite can remain intact for 30 minutes when exposed to 1300 degrees Celsius and thermally insulate nearby components, mitigating the spread of fire and protecting lives and property.
Hankuk Carbon has used its expertise in press mouldable epoxy resin formulation to enable our FC-9 series cures within 4 minutes, making high rate production viable.
We believe our solution offers an unrivaled combination of increased safety, functionality, design freedom and low weight within a highly cost effective solution.
This solution is also highly suited to improving the safety of battery enclosures in e-scooters, public transport and e-aviation.
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In the video above, you can see the result of our testing of the traditionally used Aluminium plates versus the FC-9X fire retardant material developed by Hankuk Carbon.
After 33 seconds at 1,300 degrees, thermal runway fires are caused in Aluminium covers (aluminium sheet is penetrated by flame). The solution Hankuk Carbon proposes, a glass fiber flame retardant composite material, is intact even after 30 minutes of exposure to fire in the same condition as the aluminium.
If you would like to learn more about our materials, leave us a message via the contact form on our website and we will get back to you.