19 E-Mobility Engineering | September/October 2025 – for example, if the battery is going into a military application or it’s being submerged, there are additional requirements such as ballistic strength and corrosion resistance.” Solid‑state batteries are soon to enter limited commercialisation, driven by breakthroughs in ceramic and sulphide electrolytes. These have the potential to deliver two- or three-times higher energy density, dramatically faster charging and enhanced safety owing to the use of non‑flammable solid materials. Meanwhile, second-wave chemistries such as sodium‑ion (Na‑ion) and silicon‑anode enhanced lithium‑ion are also gaining traction, with highly packed cells that promise greater power density, faster charging, low temperature capabilities, higher cycles and lower cost, with some designs slated for production by the end of the year. These new technologies and chemistries, added to improvements in battery management systems with AI‑optimised charging, advanced thermal control and more robust recycling frameworks, are driving a holistic transformation in EV battery systems – and this is all leading to advancements of new adhesive, sealant and coating technologies. Valverde explains: “Safety is a particularly important area. There is an intrinsic issue with the chemistry of battery cells, in that if there’s an error in manufacturing or in the environment of the cell and how it operates, it could reach a situation where it gets overheated – and batteries can do so in a very dramatic and catastrophic way. “As the energy density of batteries increases, the need for zero problems and zero errors increases, so our materials need to provide behaviours and performance that help prevent catastrophic outcomes. That includes flame retardancy, fire-fighting activity, smoke absorption, efficient cooling and many other properties. “If you’re bonding a big heavy cell to a cold plate – which is there to draw heat away from the cell so it never gets too hot to get to the danger zone – we need an adhesive that will create the bond but that does not block that heat transfer efficiency. We need to formulate a material that enables effective heat transfer and we do that in a molecular way. “We have also developed a new dielectric coating that reduces electrical losses to improve efficiency. There are lots of metal structures around the cells and if they touch there will be current leakage, draining the energy of that cell at a moment when it’s not necessary. This coating renders those metal surfaces non-electrically conductive.” As well as advancing the capability of the materials, Valverde is also using past experience to make them more sustainable. She says there is a big pull in the market for adhesives and sealants that are more environmentally friendly and offer long-term recyclability – but, just as she found with the interior trim adhesives, it is not easy to achieve. “There’s a term, ‘on-demand’ bonding, which is all to do with controlling how and when materials join together,” she says. “These are hard technical hurdles, holding components together for 20 years then, one day, clicking your fingers and everything falls apart! It’s one of the most complicated things to formulate – but we’re happy to take on the challenge.” When asked to identify the biggest drivers in modern battery development, Valverde picks out two key areas: the continued use of lithium as the main ion for electricity generation, but at the solid-state level; and a longer-term switch to more abundantly available sodium as the chemical ingredient. “My day-to-day work is focused on formulating for tomorrow and two years from now, not for the longer term, but if I answer as a consumer, I would love to see both those technologies become mainstream,” she concludes. “That would make everything safer and cheaper and open the door for the mass adoption of the electrification of everything. “It’s a slow, step-by-step process and there are many issues that have to be considered, so I will give the scientists in charge of that enough time for them to figure it out! My main concerns today are enabling the reduction of manufacturing costs and improvements in safety – and we are constantly finding more and more ways of achieving that.” Spray-applied dielectric coatings are designed to provide uniform coverage and high production speeds
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