LG Chem develops material to suppress thermal runaway in batteries

LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's leading chemical firm, said Tuesday it has developed a temperature-responsive material to suppress thermal runaway in batteries. The Safety Reinforced Layer (SRL) is a composite material that changes its electrical resistance based on temperature, acting as a "fuse" that blocks the flow of electricity in the early stages of overheating, the company said in a statement. LG Chem has completed safety verification tests for the SRL material in mobile batteries in partnership with its affiliate LG Energy Solution Ltd., the country's leading car battery maker, it said. In both battery impact and penetration tests, the batteries equipped with the SRL either didn't catch fire at all or extinguished the flames shortly after they appeared, preventing a full-blown thermal runaway event, the company said. "This is a tangible research achievement that can be applied to mass production in a short period of time. We will enhance safety technology to ensure customers can use EVs with confidenc e and contribute to strengthening our competitiveness in the battery market," LG Chem Chief Technology Officer Lee Jong-ku said. The research findings were published online in the September edition of Nature Communications, one of the world's renowned scientific journals. The company said it will continue safety testing for large-capacity EV batteries until next year. Currently, sales of battery-powered vehicles remain weak amid the EV chasm, which occurs before the widespread adoption of pure electric cars. On Aug. 1, an imported EV exploded in an apartment underground parking lot in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul, burning or damaging about 140 cars. Days later, a fire broke out in a parked EV in Geumsan, some 175 km south of Seoul. Carmakers selling EVs in Korea are now required to disclose the brand information of batteries used in their EVs following the incidents. Source: Yonhap News Agency