material, such as mica or ceramic fibers, around the pack and between the cells (see Figure 1). Specially designed PSAs meet the flame requirements that battery manufacturers are designing for these applications, including UL ® 94 V-0. Originally available in acrylic-and silicone-based formulations, adhesives that meet UL-94 V-0 and other flame requirements now are available in rubber-based formulations as well to support the increased use of LSE plastics in EV batteries. This allows use of UL 94 V-O-compliant adhesives with the full range of substrates found in today’s – and tomorrow’s – battery designs. FIGURE 2. PSA tapes bond cells together while helping reduce thermal runaway. Pressure-sensitive adhesives and tapes have become one of the bonding solutions for thermal-runaway applications in cylinder and pouch-cell battery designs, which are common in North America. In these EV battery types, thermal-runaway protection typically is provided by introducing a flame-retardant These adhesives can be paired with single-or double-sided polyester tape that also meets the UL-94 V-O standard to support thermal-runaway applications using fibrous flame-retardant materials (see Figure 2). In these applications, the tape not only effectively encapsulates the fibrous materials to prevent dusting but also adds dielectric strength. The use of easy-release liners is recommended to help prevent the cohesive failure of delicate fibrous-based materials. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 2023 Quarter 2 • www.convertingquarterly.com 17