In addition to new applications in electric vehicle powertrains, specialty chemicals company LANXESS sees great potential in engineering thermoplastics for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The requirements for various components are mainly from electrical and electronics (E& E) industry and automotive industry." These two sectors have been our core polyamide and polyester business for decades. That's why we can already offer custom materials that meet the most important standards and specifications in the international electrical and automotive industries, and that are well suited for use in charging infrastructure, "said E&, LANXess's High Performance Materials (HPM) business unit. "Says Sarah Luers, project manager for Application development at E.

Durethan polyamide (PA) and Pocan polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) are mainly used in charging plugs and outlets, components for charging stations and wall boxes (e.g. garages and carports), and components for inductive wireless charging systems for high-voltage batteries. Although the level of standardization of electric vehicles is still increasing in many areas at present, polyamides and polyesters already offer a wide range of possibilities for applications in the field of DC or AC battery charging.

non-reinforcement materials are mainly used in charging plugs because they are mechanically very strong due to their high dimensional stability and surface quality, impact resistance, and they can also be used as flame retardant compounds when they come into contact with electronic components. "One example is the halogen-free flame retardant PA 6 Durethan B30SFN30," says Luers. In flammability tests to the US standard UL 94, it achieved the highest classification of V-0, with a test body thickness of 0.75mm. The PA 6 Durethan B30S, on the other hand, is ideal for thin-walled parts such as plug handles and does not necessarily have to be flame retardant.

Considering higher and higher charging voltages and currents, thermal conductive thermoplastics used to eliminate the heat generated are also becoming increasingly important. Mineral-based Durethan BTC965FM30 and BTC77ZH3.0EF PA 6 compounds have a high filler content and are ideal for parts near charging plugs. The former is a halogen-free flame retardant that reaches class V-0 (0.75 mm) in UL 94 testing. Durethan BTC77ZH3.0EF contains a special mineral filling through which near-anisotropic thermal conductivity up to 1.8 W/m and Kelvin can be achieved. Despite the high filling content, the material exhibits excellent elongation and processing characteristics.

Charging sockets generally require excellent fire resistance, mechanical strength and good expansion characteristics." "For example, the halogen-free, flame retardant and fiberglass reinforced grade Durethan BKV30FN04 PA 6 meets these requirements and is also listed as V-0 by UL," says Luers. Potential new applications for

charging wall boxes include cover plates and structural components. As a visible part, the cover plate should not only be easy to paint, weather-resistant, UV resistant and linear, but also have a low tendency to warp. Pocan C1203, for example, meets this requirement by being an unreinforced mixture of polycarbonate and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

Typical requirements for structural components (mounting systems for wall boxes) include high flame retardancy, weather resistance, and creep resistance, as well as high toughness and low warping tendency. "The material chosen here is high strength, so Durethan BKV45FN04, which is very strong and rigid, can be used," says Luers.

Another current development trend is inductive charging and wireless charging of car batteries. The floor and vehicle pad required here, as well as the material that houses the inductive charging coils, must be made of materials that are fire resistant, have high mechanical strength, have low tendency to deform and have high dielectric strength. The material must also be light resistant and weather resistant, with its performance remaining highly stable over a temperature range of -45 бу C to +125 бу C. One material that can be used for flooring is fiberglass and glass bulb reinforced PA 6 Durethan BG30XFN01. It shows excellent flow properties while having extremely high strength and resistance to deformation. It is UL 94 tested, rated V-0, and has a test body thickness of 0.75mm. It is also UL f1 certified for use in outdoor applications where it is exposed to UV light and water.

HPM supports customers across the entire chain of component development used in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Services include developing specialized materials and optimizing processing. The package also includes engineering services during component design, such as CAE simulation, mold flow calculations and testing of various finished parts." "We also carry out standard tests for UV resistance and fire resistance, such as glowing wire tests, according to IEC 60695-2-13," says Luers. The range of services also includes electrical testing, such as dielectric strength testing according to IEC 60243-1.