Three e-mobility applications using Solvay specialty polymers are among the winners of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Awards in 2021. First place in the ‘New Mobility’ category of the Awards went to an injection molded rotor slot liner molded with Xydar LCP, followed by a second place in the ‘Enabler’ category for magnet wire insulation in KetaSpire PEEK and a third place in the ‘Powertrain’ category for a coolant line using Ryton PPS.

“We would like to congratulate our customers who developed and brought these applications to market, demonstrating the overall cost, performance and sustainability benefits that can be derived from our specialty polymers in demanding e-mobility systems and components”, said Georges Houtappel, Executive Vice President Transportation at Solvay.

The recognized applications in greater detail:

• New Mobility Category Award, First Place - Slot liners injected, application developed and molded with Xydar G930 30% glass fiber reinforced and flame retardant liquid crystal polymer (LCP) by Cobraplast, Italy, for one of Germany’s foremost automotive manufacturers.

  
  The part is used in the rotor design of an advanced-generation electric drive traction motor where it provides a barrier between the copper windings and the steel lamination of the rotor. In this small but critical application, Xydar LCP replaces incumbent multi-layer films and provides cost and performance advantages.
  
  The material combines very good flowability to fill 0.65 mm thin sections over a length of 220 mm with zero warpage to meet tight tolerance specifications. In addition, it also ensures high stiffness to prevent breakage during assembly.

• Enabler Category Award, Second Place - Magnet wire insulation developed by Essex Furukawa company, Germany, using solvent-free KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Magnet wires coated with KetaSpire PEEK are highly efficient in increasing power density and torque while reducing the weight and size of electric motors.
  
  The specialty polymer offers a thermal performance of 240°C and a dielectric strength of 197 kV/mm in combination with high ductility, stress crack resistance, long-term mechanical strength and good chemical resistance.

• Powertrain Category Award, Third Place - Cooling lines with coolant tubes extruded in Ryton polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) XE 3500 (unfilled) and XE 5430 (30% glass-filled), complete with connectors injection molded in Ryton R4-270 (40% glass-filled).
  
  Widely proven for cooling and venting lines in the high-heat environment of downsized internal combustion engines, Ryton PPS also provides the chemical resistance, mechanical strength and flame retardancy needed for battery cooling lines in electric vehicles.
  
  In these applications, the polymer replaces lower performing polyamides as well as metals, which helps OEMs benefit from the lightweighting possibilities with plastics also in chemically and mechanically more demanding fluid handling systems.

Three e-mobility applications using Solvay specialty polymers are among the winners of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Awards in 2021. First place in the ‘New Mobility’ category of the Awards went to an injection molded rotor slot liner molded with Xydar LCP, followed by a second place in the ‘Enabler’ category for magnet wire insulation in KetaSpire PEEK and a third place in the ‘Powertrain’ category for a coolant line using Ryton PPS.

“We would like to congratulate our customers who developed and brought these applications to market, demonstrating the overall cost, performance and sustainability benefits that can be derived from our specialty polymers in demanding e-mobility systems and components”, said Georges Houtappel, Executive Vice President Transportation at Solvay.

The recognized applications in greater detail:

• New Mobility Category Award, First Place - Slot liners injected, application developed and molded with Xydar G930 30% glass fiber reinforced and flame retardant liquid crystal polymer (LCP) by Cobraplast, Italy, for one of Germany’s foremost automotive manufacturers.

  
  The part is used in the rotor design of an advanced-generation electric drive traction motor where it provides a barrier between the copper windings and the steel lamination of the rotor. In this small but critical application, Xydar LCP replaces incumbent multi-layer films and provides cost and performance advantages.
  
  The material combines very good flowability to fill 0.65 mm thin sections over a length of 220 mm with zero warpage to meet tight tolerance specifications. In addition, it also ensures high stiffness to prevent breakage during assembly.

• Enabler Category Award, Second Place - Magnet wire insulation developed by Essex Furukawa company, Germany, using solvent-free KetaSpire polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Magnet wires coated with KetaSpire PEEK are highly efficient in increasing power density and torque while reducing the weight and size of electric motors.
  
  The specialty polymer offers a thermal performance of 240°C and a dielectric strength of 197 kV/mm in combination with high ductility, stress crack resistance, long-term mechanical strength and good chemical resistance.

• Powertrain Category Award, Third Place - Cooling lines with coolant tubes extruded in Ryton polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) XE 3500 (unfilled) and XE 5430 (30% glass-filled), complete with connectors injection molded in Ryton R4-270 (40% glass-filled).
  
  Widely proven for cooling and venting lines in the high-heat environment of downsized internal combustion engines, Ryton PPS also provides the chemical resistance, mechanical strength and flame retardancy needed for battery cooling lines in electric vehicles.
  
  In these applications, the polymer replaces lower performing polyamides as well as metals, which helps OEMs benefit from the lightweighting possibilities with plastics also in chemically and mechanically more demanding fluid handling systems.