Thermally Conductive Adhesive Tape for EV

Tecman Thermally Conductive Adhesive Tape

Tecman has developed a proprietary range of thermally conductive acrylic foam tapes for superior heat dissipation in electronic architectures.

• Battery Lid Thermal Protection
• Battery Metal Component Insulation
• Demand for Battery Pack Adhesive Tape
• Mounting of Battery Module Frames & Other Battery Parts
• Mounting & Thermal Propagation Between Cells
• Mounting Heating Plate Films
• Mounting & Thermal Propagation of Heat Emitting Components

Tecman Thermally Conductive Adhesive Tape

Our thermally conductive battery pack adhesive tapes come in a range of customizable geometries, each with a high thermal conductivity of 0.6 W/(m/K) to provide reliable performance in demanding high-temperature conditions.

The versatility, light weight, and outstanding thermal performance of our thermally conductive VHPB adhesive tapes make them ideal for use in the burgeoning EV and PHEV market.

Demand for Battery Pack Adhesive Tape

In just a few short years, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for electric and hybrid vehicles in the UK. Registered plug-in vehicles on British roads increased from just 3,500 in 2013 to over 220,000 by June 2019 – figures which include pure-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). Despite this increase, plug-in vehicles still only accounted for just 2.7% of new vehicle purchases in 2018 showing the significant potential in this emerging technology. While there is no single catalyst for this remarkable increase, the continual growth of EV and PHEV vehicle sales are fundamentally dependent on battery design. 

Automotive vehicle battery pack development is accelerating at a rapid pace receiving significant investment across the industry and from central government.  Tecman is supporting this development with investment in thermally conductive battery pack adhesive tapes and other advanced thermal management materials such as graphene tapes and films, ceramic loaded gap fill material and conductive foils. 

In this blog post, Tecman Speciality Materials covers the importance of thermally conductive adhesive tapes for battery pack development in greater depth.

Importance of Thermally Conductive Adhesive Tapes

There is no single catalyst for the remarkable increase in EV and PHEV concentration in the UK, with industry analysts citing various factors as the root cause: enhancements in vehicle performance; more effective and concerted marketing campaigns for electric vehicles; heightened environmental concerns of consumers; etc.

Underscoring each of these issues is the electronic powertrain. The powertrain includes every component in a vehicle that generates and transfers power to the road surface, i.e. the engine, transmission, and drive shafts. In an EV, and to a lesser extent a PHEV, power is supplied by a battery pack which currently falls into one of three performance brackets:

• Subcompact EVs are generally equipped with a 12 – 18 kWh battery
• Mid-sized EVs are typically equipped with a 22 – 32 kWh battery
• Premium EVs may be equipped with a high-performance 60 – 100+ kWh battery

These novel brackets ensure that EVs are now capable of satisfying distinct user groups in the automotive market, providing essential KPIs for drivers in the family and performance brackets alike.

A mid-sized EV may now offer fast-charging capabilities at a fraction of the running costs of conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, while top-of-the-range EVs can compete with established sports brands for performance-based driving.

Despite the widely deviating performance levels of these three brackets, however, each battery technology is supported by advanced bonding solutions like thermally conductive adhesive tape.

The Importance of Thermally Conductive Adhesive Tape is Threefold

1. A mid-sized EV battery can weigh as much as 230 kilograms (kg), while a premium battery can weigh up to 600 kg. To put that into context, a gas-guzzling Chevy small block V8 weighs around 260kgs. Mounting and securing the battery in an EV subsequently requires several fixtures and adhesive solutions, including thermally conductive adhesive tape.

2. As the energy capabilities of EV batteries increase, so does the amount of heat they produce. This is a detrimental by-product that can deplete the service life of the battery and reduce performance, which is why thermally conductive adhesive tape is often specified for transferring heat from the battery pack to a secondary heat sink.

3. EVs are still in the relatively early stages of development, with auto engineers looking to capitalize on and maximize ROIs to justify the expense of R&D. Thermally conductive adhesive tape offers a versatile solution for mounting and heat management in EV batteries, representing a conformable and lightweight alternative to mechanical clasps and fixings, as well as providing a cleaner and more consistent bond line to liquid adhesives.

Technical Support

Contact our technical team 

If you need any more information about our thermally conductive battery pack adhesive tapes or other advanced thermal management materials such as graphene, conductive foil or thermal gap fill materials, contact our technical team today.