3M Glass Bubblesfor Powertrain

3M™ Glass Bubbles

Solutions where they’re needed most

Automotive lightweighting goes right to the heart of electric vehicles – some studies show that an EV battery pack can account for 25 to 30 percent of the total vehicle weight. Using lightweight fillers for EV battery pack materials such as potting resins, gap fillers and adhesives can be instrumental for EV lightweighting. OEMs are looking to achieve lightweighting goals in addition to meeting other requirements, like thermal insulation, in their materials. 3M Glass Bubbles can help.

Thermally insulating

3M Glass Bubbles are inherently thermally insulating – they replace heavy fillers in a variety of resins and help decrease the thermal conductivity of the material. They can be added at high loadings and still retain desired viscosity levels.

Download: 3M™ Glass Bubbles for EV battery brochure (PDF, 529 KB)
Lightweight

With a true density of 0.20 – 0.46 g/cc, 3M Glass Bubbles can be added to a variety of materials to enable a range of weight savings depending on application. Grades are available which are strong enough to withstand thermoplastic and composite part processing. 3M Glass Bubbles can achieve weight savings of 40% or higher in silicone-based resins.

Here are some of the ways 3M Glass Bubbles can be used for lightweighting EV battery pack components:

Potting Resins, Cushioning Pads and Thermally Insulative Materials
- Potting Resins, Cushioning Pads and Thermally Insulative Materials
  
  True density of 0.20 – 0.46 g/cc for lower weight materials
  
  Thermally insulative, helping to decrease the thermal conductivity of the material
  
  Replaces organic resin, helping to reduce the flammable content
  
  Enables lightweight syntactic foam with controlled density
  
  Low viscosity build to enable flowability in small crevices
Adhesives and Gap Fillers
- Adhesives and Gap Fillers
  
  Enables lightweight syntactic foam with controlled density
  
  Low viscosity build to enable flowability in small crevices
  
  True density of 0.20 – 0.46 g/cc for lower weight materials
SMC Battery Enclosures
- SMC Battery Enclosures
  
  Compared to steel and aluminium, SMC parts are significantly lower in weight. Use of 3M Glass Bubbles in the formulation can make them even lighter.
  
  Offer sufficient crush strength for use in SMC processing
  
  Learn more about 3M Glass Bubbles for sheet molding composites.
Injection Molded Plastic Parts
- Injection Molded Plastic Parts
  
  Reduce part weight up to 15 %
  
  Low dielectric properties help improve performance and lower weight of signal transfer devices
  
  Provides dimensional stability for small thin wall parts (e.g., electrical connectors) - like glass beads, but with significant part weight reduction
  
  Learn more about 3M Glass Bubbles for injection molded parts.

3M Glass Bubbles make potting resin even better for EV batteries

Pictured: Lightweight potting resin with 3M Glass Bubbles positions and insulates cylindrical battery cells.

Dispersed into a silicone matrix, 3M Glass Bubbles allow for controlled density in a lightweight silicone gel used as a potting resin. 3M Glass Bubbles were shown to reduce the thermal conductivity of the potting resin without significantly increasing its viscosity, maintaining its flowability and consistency. The result: positioning, thermal insulation and reliable covering in a lightweight EV battery potting resin.

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