Polyphenylene ether battery housing composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current protective housings for hybrid and electric vehicle batteries fail to provide adequate impact resistance when dropped from heights greater than thirty centimeters, and they require multiple plastic materials for molding, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A specific injection molded composition comprising 45 to 55 weight percent poly(phenylene ether), 30 to 40 weight percent rubber-modified polystyrene, 5 to 15 weight percent organophosphate ester, and 5 to 10 weight percent glass fibers with a softening point of 600 to 900 °C is used to mold the protective housing, excluding organic sulfonates, to enhance impact resistance and reduce material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple plastic materials are used to mold protective housing parts, then impact resistance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple plastic materials into a single composition. The composition includes poly(phenylene ether) as the base polymer, rubber-modified polystyrene for impact resistance, glass fibers for structural strength, and organophosphate ester as flame retardant. This unified composition replaces the need for separate glass-filled plastic and unfilled plastic materials, simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining comprehensive protective performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite material system consisting of poly(phenylene ether), rubber-modified polystyrene, glass fibers, and organophosphate ester. This composite structure provides multiple functions simultaneously: the rubber-modified polystyrene absorbs impact energy, the glass fibers provide dimensional stability and prevent cracking, and the organophosphate ester ensures flame resistance, all within a single material that can be used for both parts with and without metal bosses.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A composition contains specific amounts of a poly (phenylene ether), a polystyrene rubber-modified with polybutadiene, an organophosphate ester, and high-melting glass fibers.The composition is useful for molding protective housings for batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles. Protective housings molded from the composition provide improved performance in a battery module drop test.