Battery Pack Insulation Material for Heat and Compression Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal insulation materials for battery packs face issues with maintaining thermal insulation properties under high temperatures and compression, as they either decompose or become brittle due to the use of organic or inorganic binders, and the manufacturing process is costly and difficult to form thin films.
Innovation Solution
A thermal insulation material comprising a porous structure with metal oxide nanoparticles as a binder, reinforced by fibers, which maintains shape and insulation even under compression and high temperatures, using a manufacturing method that avoids hydrothermal reactions and molds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If an organic binder such as urethane resin is used to fix silica aerogel, then the thermal insulation material can be formed and prevent shedding, but the binder decomposes and deteriorates at high temperatures of about 500°C, producing gas or cracking and losing shape retention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the binder material from organic (urethane resin) to inorganic (water glass/sodium silicate), fundamentally altering the chemical composition parameters to achieve high-temperature stability. This parameter change enables the thermal insulation material to maintain its binding strength and shape retention at temperatures up to 500°C without decomposition or gas production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining silica aerogel particles with water glass binder, forming a new composite that exhibits both binding capability and high-temperature resistance. This composite approach allows the material to leverage the thermal insulation properties of silica aerogel while the inorganic water glass binder provides heat stability, achieving synergistic performance.
2Temperature
If an inorganic binder such as water glass is used to fix silica aerogel, then heat resistance is improved, but the thermal insulation material becomes hard and brittle and is difficult to form into thin films
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by controlling the distribution and concentration of water glass binder within the silica aerogel composite. By optimizing the local binder content and distribution, the material achieves sufficient binding strength for structural integrity while maintaining the flexibility and formability needed for thin film production. This localized optimization resolves the contradiction between hardness and formability.
3Temperature
If conventional molding processes with hydrothermal reactions are used to produce thermal insulation material with inorganic binder, then the material achieves heat resistance, but the manufacturing process becomes costly and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex hydrothermal reaction step from the conventional manufacturing process. By using water glass as the binder that can be applied and cured through simpler processes, the invention removes the need for expensive and complex hydrothermal treatment equipment and procedures, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining heat resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs water glass, an inexpensive inorganic binder material, replacing costly and complex processing requirements. The water glass binder can be applied in simple coating or mixing operations and cured through straightforward drying or low-temperature firing, eliminating the need for expensive hydrothermal processing equipment and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The material effectively retains thermal insulation properties and resists crushing, maintaining shape and insulation even under high temperatures and compression, reducing the risk of gas production and cracking, while being easier and cheaper to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
metal oxide nanoparticles serving as a binder
Implementation Method 2
a porous structure in which a plurality of particles is connected to form a skeleton, the porous structure having pores inside
Implementation Method 3
the thermal conductivity of this type of porous material is lower than the thermal conductivity of air
Implementation Method 4
having hydrophobic sites at least on a surface of the porous structure out of the surface and inside of the porous structure
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal insulation material for a battery pack includes: a thermal insulation layer; and a first base material and a second base material that are arranged with the thermal insulation layer interposed therebetween. The thermal insulation layer contains a porous structure in which a plurality of particles is connected to form a skeleton, reinforcing fibers, and metal oxide nanoparticles serving as a binder, the porous structure having pores inside and having hydrophobic sites at least on a surface of the porous structure out of the surface and inside of the porous structure, and a percentage mass loss of the thermal insulation layer in thermogravimetric analysis in which the thermal insulation layer is held at 500° C. for 30 minutes is 10% or less.