Bonding Batteries

One of the growing demands in electric vehicle manufacturer is producing the cells and the battery packs into which the cells are assembled. Let’s face it: until recently, this hasn’t exactly been a big concern. According to Frank Kerstan, director of e-Mobility & Powertrain at Henkel (henkel.com), adhesives and related materials are playing a big role in this space, as there are several areas where its technologies come into play. For battery assembly, there UV-light cured Loctite AA 325, and a modified silane, Teroson MS 9396 for battery cell-to-cell bonding and battery case sealing. There are thermally conductive adhesives (Loctite UK 6800 and Loctite EA 9794) that allow heat transfer to cooling plates. For addressing dynamic loads and crash performance of the pack, there are two-component epoxies, including Teroson EP 5065 and Loctite EA 9466. Then there are a number of additional materials, including a thermally conductive silicone-free material for filling gaps; conductive coatings to improve battery charging and discharging (i.e., Bonderite L-GP EB 012 and Bonderite S-FN 15000 lower the internal electrical resistance and increase the adhesion of the active material to the cathode for Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery cells); and more.