Materials

Grid

Joint venture for high-performance busbars

HPW and Brand KG have set up a joint venture to develop high-performance busbars for EVs, writes Nick Flaherty. HPW Metallwerk in Linz, Austria, develops high-performance wires for e-mobility while Brand KG in Anröchte, Germany, is a specialist in springs, spring assemblies and wire forming parts.

Focus on...

Wide bandgap materials

The shift to wide bandgap materials isn’t just an incremental upgrade, it is the fundamental enabler for the next generation of high-performance, long-range EVs, reports Nick Flaherty Wide bandgap (WBG) materials – primarily silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), but also gallium oxide (Ga2O3 or GaO) – are defined by their electronic bandgap energy, which is significantly higher than that of traditional silicon at 1.1 eV. Specifically, SiC and GaN possess bandgaps of approximately 3.2 and 3.4 eV, respectively, with GaO at 4.5–4.9 eV.

Deep Insight

Fuel cell adhesives

Developing adhesives and sealing materials appropriate for hydrogen-based fuel cells and electrolysers is a sticky challenge. Nick Flaherty investigates. Hydrogen is the smallest of all molecules, meaning that the adhesives and sealants used for fuel cells must ensure a very tight seal to prevent diffusion.

Web exclusive

Hydrophobic adhesives advance PEM fuel cell humidifier durability and production

Maintaining optimal humidity levels in PEM fuel cells has become a critical engineering challenge as the technology scales toward mass production. The membrane depends on precisely controlled moisture to maintain ionic conductivity.

Web exclusive

ROSS launches 750-gallon Double Planetary mixer

Processing materials that behave more like modelling clay than liquid presents distinct engineering problems. Adhesives, sealants, battery electrode pastes and advanced composite materials can reach viscosities exceeding 5 million centipoise, and at that consistency, achieving uniform dispersion across hundreds of gallons becomes as much about mechanical design as process chemistry.

Focus on...

Battery separator materials

Peter Donaldson examines the essential properties of battery separator materials. Every lithium-ion cell has a separator between the electrodes, an often overlooked but fundamental component with three key functions.

Web exclusive

Henkel unveils new thermal potting solutions to boost electric vehicle power electronics reliability

Henkel has announced two new additions to its thermal potting portfolio for electric vehicle powertrain systems, responding to the increasing demand for integrated x-in-1 architectures that combine inverter, on-board charger, e-motor, and DC-DC converter functions.

Web exclusive

BASF pioneers automotive polyamide 6 recycling innovation

BASF has developed two recycling processes for polyamide 6 recovered from end-of-life vehicles, targeting plastics that have historically been difficult to reclaim.

Web exclusive

Advanced materials enhance energy density and safety in Freudenberg EV battery solutions

The rapid evolution of electric powertrains is intensifying the focus on safer, more efficient and longer-lasting battery systems. Freudenberg has developed a set of technologies that address key challenges in cell and pack engineering through advances in materials and component design.

Grid

Carbon nanotubes drive metal-free motor

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed an electric motor without metal, which instead uses carbon nanotubes (CNTs), writes Nick Flaherty.

ONLINE PARTNERS