Battery thermal safety management with form-stable and flame-retardant phase change materials

Phase change materials (PCMs), characterized by zero energy consumption and high energy storage density capability, have a wide range of applications. However, the development of organic PCM is restricted by their low thermal conductivity, easy leakage and high combustibility. In this study, we produced a composite phase change materials (CPCM) with both high thermal conductivity and flame-retardant effect for application in battery thermal safety management. We demonstrated that addition of a porous network structure of EG as a shaping support to increase PA's thermal conductivity, and incorporation of environmentally safe and non-toxic silica-based flame retardant (SiO₂ sol) improved the flame retardant properties. The optimum mass ratio of the CPCM was obtained by comprehensive analysis of the shape and thermal stability, energy storage performance and thermal conductivity. It was also verified by cone calorimetry that the CPCM outperformed pure PA in several aspects: heat release, smoke release rate and emission of toxic gases. The cooling and thermal runaway experiment of the battery module showed that the addition of CPCM had a positive effect on absorption of battery heat and extending the time between the thermal runaway spread of battery modules (21 s increasing to 396 s), providing valuable time for the safe evacuation of people in the event of a runaway fire. © 2023