DuPont keeping its cool as EV tech heats up

WILMINGTON, Del—Electric vehicles fall in that space where climate issues, consumer preferences and Congressional legislation converge. So, all things considered, the years ahead seem primed for the adoption of EV technology.

It's why auto makers—and their suppliers—are working to meet the moment, bringing the latest and best technology to the public as quickly as possible.

Too quickly, some might say.

The rapid development of EV technology has left lingering questions about safety, particularly in relation to vehicle fires caused by thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries.

But if there is anything that Carlo Fiorella knows it's EVs, speed and safety. He believes that—when it comes to the safety of EV technology—there's no need to fret, even as EV technology rollouts speed up.

Fiorella, global market manager of DuPont Automotive, has seen firsthand how DuPont Co. technology works to enhance the safety of some of the world's fastest electric vehicles—those on the Federation International de l'Automobile Formula E racetracks.

If DuPont materials can keep the fastest, most-demanding EVs safe from thermal runaway, Fiorella said, then DuPont materials can keep any EV safe. Because while the rollout of new automotive technology brings hurdles—like charging infrastructure and electrical grid upgrades—consumer concerns about battery fires shouldn't be among them.

"The reality is that fires or safety incidents are inevitable, vehicle accidents are going to happen," Fiorella said, noting that the events are rare. "The data shows we can drive a couple of hundred thousand miles in a battery electric vehicle and we likely never will experience an issue."

Still, rarities require preparation and extra layers of safety, he said.

"It is why, even though none of us plan to have a kitchen fire, we have a fire extinguisher in there. It's why even in the office building we are in—though we don't expect it to catch on fire—there are fire doors, there are safety walls."

In the case of thermal runaway, consider DuPont the fire extinguisher.

Fiorella said the company has more than 100 years of product development experience in the thermal management space. DuPont is finding new applications for some of its most trusted technology and world-renowned brands—Kevlar and Nomex, in particular.

Traditionally, DuPont has tested its Nomex products as direct protection for first responders, using mannequins and temperature testing to ensure that the heat from flames doesn't impact the mannequin directly. Decades of experimentation has allowed DuPont to rethink how best to use its familiar thermal management products to protect consumers and keep EVs safer.

"A lot of it is an extension of the testing and the labs and the technology we already have," Fiorella said. "It's all about how can we continue to protect passengers? So now, instead of having a thermal man—where we are testing to see how we can preserve the temperature of the mannequin inside the test and simulate that first responder—it's how do we test a battery and contain that?"

By incorporating these products into EV thermal management solutions, DuPont can protect the entire battery pack or individual cells from thermal runaway.

With Nomex, DuPont has two solutions. Nomex CellShield is designed to protect individual cells from the chain reaction caused when a thermal runaway moves from one cell to the next. Nomex SafePak, meanwhile, is designed to envelop the entire battery, protecting passengers from a fire that results from thermal runaway.

"Nomex SafePak (works) like a blanket that we wrap the top of the battery pack with so that SafePak can keep that fire contained," Fiorella said. "It's about how much time can we give to the occupants so that they can safely egress from the vehicle. ... Or more likely, in the case of an accident, it gives them time to exit the vehicle or have first responders extricate them from the vehicle."

In addition to Nomex, DuPont sees potential uses for Kevlar MicroCore, which helps to prevent overheating and thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries during charging. The product not only helps to protect the vehicle from fires it can be a charging and performance aid, Fiorella said.