E-Mobility

WACKER silicones are the ideal materials for use in extreme conditions, such as those found in automotive applications, especially e-mobility. Whether in electric motors, power electronics, displays, cables and plugs, fuel cells, batteries or sensors: our high-performance silicones have exceptional properties that enable our customers to secure pole position in their particular market.

Our silicones protect sensitive electronics and support thermal management. This enables the key topics – electrification, connectivity and autonomous driving – to be implemented reliably and economically. Silicones from WACKER guarantee high reliability and a long service life. In addition, flame-retardant silicone coatings make it possible to use lightweight laminates to separate individual compartments in the car, e.g. to separate the battery from the passenger compartment.

Battery

WACKER supports the electrification of EV drive trains with leading silicone-based product solutions.

Performance and safety of a battery pack are influenced by the battery pack design, pack topology, cell form and various other factors. Silicones can make a major contribution to improving performance, functionality and safety and extending the service life of EV batteries.

Silicones: The Right Choice for Batteries

Silicones such as elastomers and resins (SILRES^®, SEMICOSIL^®, ELASTOSIL^®) are the products of choice where high temperature resistance and permanent flexibility are top priorities.

General Benefits

Extend lifetime and performance of batteries
Keep operating temperatures within an optimum range, connect elements to active cooling systems
Increase battery safety / thermal event isolation: silicones slow the spread of thermal events
Protect electronic components against moisture, oxidation, chemicals and vibration
Reliability of silicones (resistance to thermal shock, oxidation, moisture and chemicals)
Electrical insulation

Silicone use-cases in batteries

Thermal management

Thermally conductive gap filler or adhesives to couple cells to modules and/ or active cooling systems
Thermally conductive potting compounds for fixing and coupling cells or for potting electronics in battery management systems (BMS)

Battery gaskets

Dispensable silicone lid sealing, CIPG
Flame-retardant solid silicone rubber

Cell module protection:
Thermally and electrically insulating coating or sheet

Battery safety/ prevention of thermal runaway

Cover protection sheet based on solid silicone rubber
Fiber composite based on silicone resin as matrix system

Module assembly

(Thermally conductive) adhesive
Insulation sheet, potting or foam

Sealing

Sealing of modules (CIPG – cured in place gasket)
Sealing of battery lids with ceramifying sealants or coatings
Sealing of plugs / connectors

Potting/ encapsulation

Couple cells for vibration control
Potting of electronics, e.g., in battery management system (BMS)
Potting of busbars

E-Drives (xEV/EV)

Silicones from our ELASTOSIL^®, SEMICOSIL^®, SILRES^® and WACKER SilGel^® product series are used in hybrid and electric drives to provide efficient thermal management and functional safety, optimum processing and production, as well as reliable protection of sensitive electronics.

General Benefits:

Protection of engine components against moisture, environmental impacts, chemicals, coolants and fluids
Vibration damping (from -45 °C up to >180 °C)
Heat resistance (180 °C up to 230 °C continuous load) and active cooling support
Longer life and performance of electric insulation over a broad temperature and frequency range

Applications in Electric Motors:

Impregnation of electrical coils (rotor/stator) with silicone resins
Coil potting with silicone elastomers
Active cooling with silicone fluid
Protection of electrical connections by potting junction boxes and connector rings with silicone elastomers
Permanent magnet bonding with high tear-strength silicone adhesives

Applications in Gearbox Mounted Hybrid Modules:

Active cooling
Permanent magnet bonding
Coil impregnation
Potting of coil connector rings/junction boxes

Applications in Direct Drives:

Active cooling
Coil impregnation
Potting of coil connector rings/junction boxes

Fuel Cells

Silicones can be used to seal fuel-cell components (bipolar plates or MEA / membrane electrode assemblies), either as part of the fuel cell or as prefabricated gaskets inserted during stacking. Our silicones make fuel-cell power units more reliable and extend their life and performance.

Benefits of Silicone Gaskets:

Chemically inert, i.e. their properties remain stable in a fuel-cell set-up and during operation, and do not negatively affect the fuel-cell performance
Excellent compression set, ensuring gas and coolant tightness and securing the fuel cell against leakage over its full lifetime
Excellent thermal and degradation resistance

Applications:

Sealing bipolar plates (BPP)/membrane electrode assembly (MEA): dispensing/screen printing/injection molding
Sealing of housing and auxiliary units
Potting and bonding of sensor applications
Potting of control electronics

Processing:

Injection molding
Low-pressure injection molding
Screen printing
Dispensing
Potting
Sealing

High-Voltage Cables

The transition to electric cars greatly enhances the potential for high consistency silicone rubber (HCR) used in cables. The automotive industry requires extrudable materials that will reliably retain their electrical insulation properties over a very broad range of temperatures and over long periods of time. Maintaining the performance and safety of the high-voltage electrical system throughout its entire service life requires high-performance silicone cables that serve as safe, secure links between the components of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Advantages:

Resistance to temperatures up to 180 °C, long-term durability
Very good dielectric strength and insulation properties
Outstanding mechanical strength
Excellent chemical resistance
Low bending radii
Insulate the flow of high currents from the body of the car and the environment under thermally challenging conditions

Applications

HCR for extrusion of high-voltage cables (peroxide / addition-cure)
Ensuring a reliable power supply in the vehicle (connection between inverters and electric motor)
High-voltage battery cell connection (Internal wiring of high-voltage components)

Cable Connectors

For applications in the high-voltage electrical system, WACKER has put together a portfolio of ideally suited high consistency rubber (HCR) and liquid silicone rubber (LSR) products that guarantee a long service life.

Advantages:

Very reliable performance of connector seals (low compression set, water and dust-proof)
Outstanding mechanical strength
High-voltage electrical insulation
Unique resistance to temperatures of 175 °C

Applications

HCR and LSR for molding cable connectors
Molded silicone connectors ensure tight, flexible, robust links between cables and power sources

Battery Coolant Connectors

Dedicated coolant-resistant silicone elastomers are the solution for battery thermal management. Our coolant-resistant liquid silicone rubber is aimed at keeping battery temperatures within the optimum range, increasing battery safety in general.