At its 2nd Electromobility and fire safety challenges workshop, Tokyo, 1st July 2019, pinfa brought together more than 60 stakeholders of the electromobility value chain: automotive companies, OEMs, plastic compounders and manufacturers of flame retardants. Held as a satellite workshop of the Electro Mobility and Circular Economy (EMCE) Conference, this workshop addressed the specificity of the Japanese market, extending the discussions kicked off last November in Shanghai (pinfa Newsletter n°96) and addressed the trends and challenges of the thriving electromobility market: Battery EV, Plug-in EV and Hybrid EV. Heavier batteries (up to 400kg) push further structural weight reduction in cars and metal parts are replaced by multi-material compounds (eg. polymeric resins, fiberglass, carbon fiber), with epoxy and polyurethane being among the most used polymers. Battery casings face increasing pressure to be lighter and more effective, while the size of the cells is plummeting, resulting in a higher flammability risk. Flame retardant formulations, either in the plastic or as intumescent coatings, are instrumental in keeping xEV safe. UN regulation R100-03 already prescribes flame retardancy from external source of ignition for battery packs and it is expected that international standardisation will address internal sources of ignitions in the near future. Speakers from automotive manufacturers Honda and Nissan shared presentations on the projected automotive trends towards the 2020s. Tomorrow’s vehicles are expected to be CASE: Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric: MaaS (Mobility as a Service) is a paradigm change. With an expected life cycle of at least 15 years, flame retarded xEV parts must endure weathering with challenges of material stability. Recycling these parts is a developing industry. Non-halogen substances developed by the pinfa members are praised for their better environmental profile throughout the life cycle of the vehicle.
Supported by pinfa member companies Adeka, Clariant and Dupont, this workshop has received unanimously positive feedback from the participants. Presentations are available at https://www.pinfa.eu/mediaroom/pinfa-electromobility-fire-safety-challenges-workshop-japanese-edition/
Pinfa will be organizing a 3rd workshop in Darmstadt, Germany on November 12th, contact