Covestro : Innovative materials for a more sustainable future mobility

Covestro will showcase innovative material solutions for more sustainable future mobility at the combined trade show The Battery Show Europe and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo from November 30^th to December 2^nd, 2021 in Stuttgart, Germany. The company is fully oriented towards the circular economy, focusing on an increased use of alternative raw materials and renewable energy as well as the development of innovative recycling technologies.

Demand for high-performance batteries is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Covestro brings extensive plastics processing expertise to the table and will showcase a battery module it has developed in-house at the show, allowing it to test its own materials. The company also performs CAE component simulations and provides support to customers with moldflow analyses and injection molding upon request.

Covestro's booth, number 205 in Hall 4, will focus on high-performance plastics for key battery components such as cell holders for dimensionally accurate placement in housings. These include, in particular, flame-retardant polycarbonate blends from the Bayblend^® FR portfolio, which feature exceptionally good dimensional stability, as well as good electrical properties. As a result, they enable dimensionally stable parts with tight tolerances and thus mass production of battery modules. They also exhibit high impact strength.

Since the plastics in the Makrolon^® RE series have bio-waste and other residual materials as well as renewable energies attributed to them during their production, they can reduce the carbon footprint compared with traditional material solutions. This also applies to the Bayblend^® RE series: the polycarbonate content in these blends is also mass-balanced, so the carbon footprint of these products is reduced by up to 70 percent compared to fossil-based blends. In some cases, renewable energies are also used in production, for example at the Antwerp site of Covestro, where the company is supplied with energy from wind power.

Another important aspect is the dissipation of heat, which is released during battery operation. The thermally conductive polycarbonate Makrolon^® TC (TC stands for "thermally conductive") offers new options for cooling the battery module. Here, for example, Covestro is investigating the effects on battery life. Depending on the design of the battery system, this could also enable faster charging. Battery modules made with this material can be used in electric vehicles, in stationary energy storage systems and in replaceable batteries for two-wheelers.

Stronger, lighter and more sustainable plastics for charging stations

The number of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids is growing significantly, and with it the need for charging stations. There is a wide range of charging equipment on offer, from fixtures in parking lots to wall-mounted charging points in private homes.

Charging stations require materials that meet a number of often veryspecific requirements. They have to withstand all types of weather and also withstand attacks of vandalism well. Added to this are the wishes of the operators of charging stations, for example manufacturing by means of mass production as well as high functionality, lightness, toughness and good electrical insulation of the materials. And last but not least, they must be easy to shape in order to offer as much design freedom as possible.

Polycarbonates from the Makrolon^® range and polycarbonate blends from the Bayblend^® series meet all these requirements. Together with the mass-balanced products of the Makrolon^® RE series, they play their part in further reducing the carbon footprint of this more sustainable form of propulsion.