Two new materials called Starflam X-Protect and Vydyne AVS have been released by Ascend Performance Materials to improve safety and comfort within electric vehicles.
The Starflam X-Protect material is a flame-retardant nylon 66 that can withstand direct flame and temperatures up to 1,100°C for 15 minutes. This surpasses standard flame-retardant materials and aluminum tested in accordance with SAE AS5127.
“Safety remains one of the primary concerns for people considering an EV,” said Ian van Duijvenboode, senior director for e-mobility at Ascend Performance Materials. “Despite being relatively rare, critical battery failure and thermal runaway can occur and X-Protect was designed to keep people safe even in extreme circumstances.”
To dampen noise, harshness and vibration, which in EVs are 10 times the frequency of those in internal combustion-engined vehicles, e-mobility application development engineers and polymer scientists at Ascend produced Vydyne AVS. The newly engineered material is extremely effective at damping high-frequency vibrations from noise sources including motors and compressors, resulting in an 80% reduction in cabin sound pressure.
Vydyne AVS has been used within the Cadillac Lyriq to create a mounting bracket for an electric AC compressor, significantly reducing vibrations at the source and providing structural support for the component.
“Vydyne AVS is the result of years of engineering development combined with our unique ability to tailor the polymerization process to target specific attributes,” said Dr Steve Manning, senior director for engineered materials at Ascend Performance Materials. “It’s an example of our commitment to help customers lead in innovation and tackle the unique challenges driven by this transformation to electrification.”
