Asia is driving towards sustainable mobility with the electrification of its roads, its impact is felt not only in the electric vehicle (EV) sector but also other related industries – the batteries that power the vehicles and the adhesives that hold it all together. 

 Assembly line with electric car battery cells module on platform

As the EV market burgeons, we can see similar trajectories in the automotive battery and adhesives industries. Demands for EVs have been speeding up over the past decade and looks set to grow even stronger, with an expected CAGR of 35% from 2022 to 2029 with a market projection of $2,688.23 billion by 2029.  As one of the driving factors for EVs, the automotive battery segment is set to witness significant growth with the proliferation of EVs.

While the battery is a core component of an EV, it is also the heaviest component in the vehicle.  It is also a module that generates excessive amounts of heat.  Both are issues that automakers are having to address in light of increasing consumer demands for lightweight and safer vehicles. An effective solution is the use of Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) like thermal conductive adhesives (TCA).  These adhesives do not just bond the components together but are able to dissipate heat as well as absorb shock and vibration during the drive thus preventing damage to the sensitive components. Therefore, as EV technology progresses, the requirement for more reliable and effective adhesives to protect their batteries increases as well.

Prasanna Rao, Business Director, Bostik India, says “The import of this significance can be seen in India, with the country pushing forward vigorously towards electrification. There is distinct correlation between increasing calls for lightweight and safety materials in the automotive sector and the innovation of electric vehicle adhesives.”

“Our efforts to research and develop TCAs are more vigorous than ever. Effective thermal management in EVs ensure the reliability and robustness of EVs and enhances the performance of the vehicles,” Prasanna elaborates. 

Thermal management is vital to ensuring the operating temperature of EV-Battery systems remains between 20°C and 40°C for optimum battery life and performance. TIMs such as TCAs are essential to battery design to ensure a robust thermal connection between the battery/cell environment and the cooling elements. With the trend towards fast charging for e-mobility, the importance of thermal management - and TIMs - is increasing significantly.

With e-mobility solutions trends leading towards a module-free or Cell-to-Pack (CTP) battery pack configuration, Bostik recognised the need for an efficacious adhesive for their manufacturing partners.  This was the impetus for Bostik’s recent collaboration with Polytec PT.  Polytec PT’s expertise in thermal conductive materials coupled with Bostik’s expertise in structural polyurethane adhesives have resulted in a new range of TCA to address the challenge of thermal management in the latest Cell-to-Pack (CTP) battery design.  

The new XPU TCA 202, a two-component, polyurethane-based adhesive is specifically designed for heat dissipation in battery pack assemblies. It perfectly tackles the challenge to balance thermal conductivity with high mechanical strength while maintaining good levels of flexibility thanks to high elongation.

Its low-monomer content allows to meet most stringent regulations and enables easy product handling without specific training.

At a practical level it is also fast and easy to process through automatic mixing, dosing and dispensing equipment. It adheres well to most substrates without using a primer, and cures at room temperature.

To learn more about battery solutions from Arkema and Bostik, including the new TCA, visit us at Hall 15, Booth 112,  at the India Battery Show 2023, in Greater Noida, between October 4 and 6.

For more information about Bostik, visit https://www.bostik.com/