Sabic Displays Energy Storage Breakthroughs at Battery Show Europe

Sabic showcased its latest thermoplastic solutions for batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy storage at The Battery Show Europe in Stuttgart, Germany, this week. The products included a thermoplastic-metal DC-DC converter housing for EVs and a high-voltage battery pack enclosure. In these and many other applications, design freedom and high performance can reportedly help customers to reduce component weight and manufacturing complexity, enhance safety, and extend service life.

“Accelerating the introduction of next-generation battery technologies and charging infrastructure is vital for the fast growth and adoption of electrical vehicles,” said Fahad Al-Harthi, global director, automotive, at Sabic “With cutting-edge materials and application expertise embedded in our Bluehero initiative, we are committed to help OEMs and tiers in the industry scale up their innovations and meet strict regulatory compliance.”

Several highlights of Sabic’s presence at Battery Show Europe are detailed below. The next editions of The Battery Show are in Greater Noida, India, on Oct. 3 to 5, 2024, and in Detroit on Oct. 7 to 10, 2024. The event returns to Stuttgart on June 3 to 5, 2025.

Multi-material battery pack enclosure.

Flame-retardant Stamax LGF-PP delivers design freedom in core battery components, enabling a major reduction in part count, which facilitates assembly and optimizes the structural integrity of the components. Image courtesy of Sabic.

Sabic led a recent joint effort to develop a cost-effective, flexible, and scalable enclosure for high-voltage EV battery packs. The multi-material enclosure features a thermoplastic/organosheet sandwich cover panel, an all-thermoplastic tray, and metal underbody panel. Flame retardant (FR) Stamax long-glass-fiber polypropylene (LGF-PP) is used for the thermoplastic components. The hybrid system cuts weight by 20% versus an all-aluminum design.

Related:10 Solutions We’re Excited to See at Battery Show Europe 2024

DC-DC hybrid converter demonstrator.

A metal-plastic housing for EV DC-DC converters featuring Ultem PI resin incorporates molded-in cooling channels and fixation points. Image courtesy of Sabic.

To improve upon the aluminum housings of current DC-DC converters, which have design limitations and high manufacturing costs, Sabic developed a plastic-metal hybrid design concept. A demonstrator on display featured a lightweight plastic housing made with Ultem polyimide (PI) resin. The stamped sheet metal insert provides thermal management of the printed circuit board. A primary analysis shows that this hybrid housing is estimated to reduce overall manufacturing costs by 30% compared with an all-aluminum version.

Fuel-cell bipolar plates.

Edison Award-winning LNP Stat-Kon compound is used for bipolar plates in fuel cells. Image courtesy of Sabic.

A fuel-cell demonstrator featured bipolar plates made with high-conductivity LNP Stat-Kon compound to prevent corrosion and minimize secondary operations. LNP Stat-Kon compounds provide high conductivity, processability, chemical resistance, and ductility, enabling battery manufacturers to cut weight by up to 70% and cost by as much as 40% compared with metal electrode designs. The compound won a Gold Edison Award in 2024.

In-line paintable service flap.

New conductive Noryl grade offers in-line paintability and dimensional control under a range of temperature and humidity levels for components such as large EV service flaps. Image courtesy of Sabic.

An EV service flap demonstrator molded from conductive Noryl GTX LMX310 resin allows in-line painting for color consistency with adjacent body parts with very low moisture uptake. This specialty material — a blend of polyphenylene ether (PPE) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) — meets stringent requirements for dimensional control under a range of temperature and humidity levels.