Charged EVs | Amorim Cork Solutions introduces cork composite for EV battery thermal runaway management

Amorim Cork Solutions has developed ETP058, a cork-based engineered composite for use between and around battery cells in EV and energy storage systems, combining thermal insulation, flame resistance and mechanical compressibility in a single material.

The composite has a thermal conductivity of 0.054 W/m·K and meets UL94 V-0 flammability rating for samples thicker than 2 mm. Flame exposure testing at temperatures approaching 1,000 °C showed a gradual and controlled rise in backside temperature, which Amorim says demonstrates the material’s ability to slow inter-cell heat transfer during a thermal runaway event. ETP058 also compresses under mechanical load, allowing it to maintain contact and structural stability within a module during high-temperature events.

ETP058 combines cork granules with a fire-retardant formulation. Cork’s microcellular structure provides naturally low thermal conductivity, resilience and low weight—properties that translate to cell-separator and module-enclosure applications where mass and compressibility both matter. Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak without felling it, making it a renewable raw material.

The material targets thermal runaway containment in both EV battery modules and stationary energy storage systems. Amorim has not announced specific customer programs or a commercial availability date for ETP058.

Source: Amorim Cork Solutions