A Very Hot Item: Thermoplastics For Up To 1,200 Degrees Celsius

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies uses this innovative material to produce flame protection barriers for the cooling system of lithium-ion batteries, for example. As of February 2024, these will be used for the first time by a car manufacturer in series production vehicles.

Quantix ULTRA is suitable for all applications with high requirements for fire protection and lightweight construction. Moreover, it is not limited to specific geometric shapes. The material can be processed into films, for example, to be implemented in battery-electric drives. Other areas of use include enclosures for power supply units, media-carrying lines, cable insulation, battery housing covers and components for electric motors.

Flame protection at the highest temperatures

For engineering plastics, temperature resistance is an outstanding differentiating feature. This applies to both amorphous and semi-crystalline materials. But all currently used polymers have one thing in common: Once the so-called glass transition temperature is reached, their rigidity decreases noticeably and collapses abruptly when the melting point is exceeded. In such a case, the flame protection ceases to exist.

Quantix ULTRA is different: “The new material doesn’t melt at high temperatures; instead, it exhibits elastic behavior that can be compared to elastomers,” explains Kira Truxius, Material Expert Thermoplastics at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. “It also has a glass transition temperature that is 53 Kelvin higher, which means that it retains its rigidity and flame protection over a significantly longer period of time. When you add up its qualities, Quantix ULTRA is at the very top of all currently known plastics.