Nylon 12 Compound Boasts Highest Fire Protection for Busbars in High-Voltage Batteries of Electric Vehicles

A new nylon 12 compound has been added to the Vestamid line of nylon 12 compounds for insulating electrical conductors from Evonik. By using halogen-free flame retardants in accordance with IEC 60754, Vestamid LX9050 OR meets the requirements for classification V-0 of its flammability according to UL94. Busbars insulated with the new RAL 2003 signal orange colored material can be used at elevated operating temperatures up to 125 C/248 F.

In the future, busbars made of copper or aluminum in high-voltage batteries of electric or partially electric vehicles will require even safer protection against electrical breakdowns up to 1000 V voltage and above, and the associated risk of fire. As required by the automotive industry, Evonik has developed the new nylon 12 compound with halogen-free fire protection additives specifically for this purpose to achieve the highest possible fire resistance with flammability class V-0. A coating thickness of 0.5 - 0.7 mm meets the insulation requirements of e-mobility for busbar profiles from 30 mm2 to about 150 mm2. The RAL 2003 orange signal color indicates permanently and at first glance the high-voltage application.

The copper or aluminum profiles are coated by co-extrusion, and the reportedly favorable processing properties of Vestamid LX9050 OR also allow higher extrusion speeds. Adhesion to the metal core is excellent; adhesion promoters are not required. Due to the high elasticity of the compound, the coated busbars can be shaped very well after extrusion and even bent with small radii without losing the protective effect of the Vestamid insulation.

The compound is also suitable for processing in injection molding. Because of the halogen-free flame retardants used, it can also be used to manufacture other components for automotive electrics or for the electrical industry. The newly developed compound with a flammability classification of V-0 completes Evonik's existing range of other RAL signal orange nylon 12 products with V-2 and HB classifications.