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H.B. Fuller’s Impact on the Electric Vehicle Market

Posted 17 Dec 2024 by Dr. Marlen Valverde, Business Development Manager

How EV Protect 4006 Revolutionized EV Battery Safety and What is Next

Consumers bought nearly 14 million new electric cars in 2023. To put this number in perspective, electric cars made up almost one in five new car sales. Electric vehicle (EV) purchases are expected to continue to increase, with 42% of consumers surveyed in a recent McKinsey & Company poll saying they want their next car to be electric.

Advances in EV battery technology, such as H.B. Fuller’s EV Protect 4006, help drive this trend. The EV Protect 4006 stops battery fires from spreading throughout the vehicle and improves battery cell durability—increasing passenger safety and battery longevity. Here, we’ll cover how the EV Protect 4006 works, how the technology transformed EV battery thermal management, and where H.B. Fuller experts see battery technology headed in coming years.

What is the EV Protect 4006?

H.B. Fuller’s EV Protect 4006 is a polyurethane foam material used mainly to embed battery cells in battery modules—the building blocks of EV batteries. After manufacturers apply the product in its liquid form, the material rises and hardens to encase (pot) the cells within the module (Figure 1).

EV Protect

Figure 1. EV Protect 4006 Encapsulant Pots Battery Cells.

The EV Protect 4006’s primary purpose is preventing thermal propagation. In other words, the encapsulant stops fires from spreading to other battery cells within the module, the battery pack, and the vehicle. Fire prevention is critical for EVs because their rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are highly flammable and can burn for a long time.

In addition to preventing fires from spreading, the EV Protect 4006 provides semi-structural support to batteries. The material keeps battery cells in place and acts as a unifier for the battery module—bringing the separate components together into a flexible structure. The unified battery protects cells by absorbing external environmental impacts like shock and vibration. This slows cell aging, ensuring the battery performs well over time.

Although EV Protect 4006 is used mostly in EV batteries, it has potential uses wherever lithium-ion battery fire prevention is necessary. The lightweight material could be used in phones, hand-held electric tools, and even military applications such as drones and satellites.

Significance of the EV Protect 4006

Before H.B. Fuller scientist Albert Giorgini and his team invented the EV Protect 4006, EV battery manufacturers didn’t have a successful way to stop thermal propagation. Manufacturers tried isolating fires through compression pads and mica shields, but those technologies didn’t stop the fires from spreading to other cells or the entire vehicle.

EV Protect 4006, in contrast, consumes fires within seconds without affecting the surrounding cells. The following video compares the response to intense thermal activity between cells encapsulated in EV Protect 4006 and a competitor’s product.

Inhibiting EV battery fires saves lives and expensive equipment and prevents highly toxic and hazardous gas emissions caused by the fires. In 2023, the Adhesive and Sealant Council (ASC) gave its primary award for innovation in the adhesive and sealant industry to EV Protect 4006. The primary award is only given to technology at the highest level of development for its time. Winning this award highlights the significance of the EV Protect 4006.

“Before the EV Protect 4006, no material was successful at keeping batteries safe,” says Dr. Marlen Valverde, Business Development Manager of Global Strategic OEM/EV at H.B. Fuller, “This material revolutionized battery safety by effectively preventing thermal propagation. There is no technology out there that does the same.”

EV Protect 4006 Today and Tomorrow

Although half of H.B. Fuller’s EV battery customers use the EV Protect 4006 as designed, many need customizations to reap the product's protective and semi-structural benefits fully. For example, EV battery cell shapes can range from cylindrical to prismatic (layers of cell material rolled into a box-like form) to pouch. Pouch cells require a different potting technique than cylindrical cells to ensure the EV Protect 4006 isolates runaway heat around the entirety of the cell.

When H.B. Fuller experts work with customers to implement the EV Protect 4006, they first consider customers’ battery requirements, design, and performance expectations. Then, they complete calculations and develop customized materials (if needed) before production. Because H.B. Fuller’s electric power teams are located worldwide, customers can work closely with engineers in their region to ensure the final product meets their needs.

Preparing for the Future of Electric Vehicle Batteries

H.B. Fuller research and development teams work to refine the EV Protect 4006 for current uses. “Even though the product is our main workhorse, we are observing it closely,” says Valverde. “What else can we do to make it better for our customers? It’s not immune to being upgraded.”

Teams are also considering how the product fits into future EV battery and electricity storage needs. A key part of this is anticipating, not reacting, to changes. H.B. Fuller electric power experts monitor the market for shifts in battery design and requirements, including novel materials, changes in the position and shape of battery cells, and increases in the amount of energy batteries are expected to expend.

For example, EV companies may start requesting batteries with increased range to appeal to more consumers. Knowing this, the team can adjust their work to focus on how to slow cell aging and include more cells in each battery.

EV battery cell composition could change in the coming years. H.B. Fuller experts estimate that some companies may move away from liquid lithium-ion cells to solid-state lithium-ion cells when the technology is readily available. Although solid-state lithium-ion cells would reduce battery fire risks, the switch wouldn’t negate the need for temperature control. Also, experts anticipate sodium-ion cells could replace lithium-ion cells in EV batteries as a more sustainable and cost-effective material. Many questions remain about how to make encapsulants that optimize these emerging solutions.

The team uses market research to consider new directions for the EV Protect 4006. The versatile product will likely change as the market evolves and new scientific discoveries emerge.

Considering End-of-Life for EV Batteries

Vehicles powered by electricity are not a recent invention, but their gas-powered counterparts have long dominated the automotive industry. However, recent advancements in battery technology and rising environmental concerns have increased electric vehicles’ popularity. As more EVs enter the market, the question of what to do with EV batteries when consumers are finished with them grows in importance.

H.B. Fuller experts are researching how to recover battery cells from the hardened encapsulant for resale and reuse. While extracting the cells mechanically is possible, it takes large amounts of energy—something researchers hope to avoid. They are considering ways to detach or degrade the material on demand.

H.B. Fuller and Sustainable Adhesives

The EV Protect 4006 is one example of how H.B. Fuller’s adhesive solutions advance sustainability. In other industries, such as packaging, hygiene, and woodworking, H.B. Fuller teams have found ways to reduce the environmental impact of products, enable more sustainable manufacturing practices, and help consumers adopt more sustainable lifestyles. For more information, please see our recently published 2023 Sustainability Report.

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