LG化学展示可延缓电池热失控的SFB工程塑料，但新增商业化信息有限

Battery thermal runaway can generate flames exceeding 1,200°C as well as pressurized debris. LG Chem has developed an engineering plastic called Super Flame Barrier (SFB) that withstands such extreme conditions to prevent battery fires from escalating into larger accidents.
Hyun Sung-jae, a team leader at LG Chem, presented SFB and other materials designed to prevent battery thermal runaway propagation, along with the company’s development results, at the K-Battery Show 2026 Materials, Parts and Equipment Conference held Sept. 9 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.
Battery thermal runaway is particularly dangerous because it may not remain confined to a single cell. When a cell is damaged or develops an internal short circuit, its temperature and pressure rise rapidly. If the resulting heat raises the temperature of adjacent cells, it can trigger further thermal runaway in a chain reaction. A problem originating in a single cell can ultimately escalate into a fire or explosion involving the entire battery pack.
Preventing cascading thermal runaway requires blocking the transfer of flames and heat between cells. Inorganic materials such as ceramics, mica and aerogel are commonly used for this purpose. LG Chem instead turned to plastics. Engineering plastics can be injection-molded, making them easier to use in complex-shaped battery components. LG Chem added resistance to high-temperature flames while retaining that processability.
LG Chem developed a material called Flame Barrier for this purpose. When exposed to flames, the plastic forms multiple carbonized layers on its surface to prevent heat and flames from penetrating. In LG Chem tests that exposed 1-millimeter-thick samples to a 1,000°C flame, conventional flame-retardant plastics developed holes or melted within eight to 109 seconds. Flame Barrier maintained its shape for more than 600 seconds. The material has been used in electric-vehicle batteries from a European automaker and a global battery manufacturer and is also being supplied for energy storage systems (ESS).
LG Chem subsequently developed SFB with further improved heat resistance. SFB has also been spec-in approved by a global automaker and has entered the commercialization stage. The company unveiled SFB at InterBattery 2026 in March. The technology won an InterBattery Award in the Reliability, Safety and Sustainability category.
The key to SFB is a protective barrier that remains intact at temperatures exceeding 1,200°C. When exposed to flames, special flame retardants and inorganic materials form an aluminum phosphate-based ceramic layer. While the existing Flame Barrier slows flame penetration through carbonized layers, SFB uses a rigid ceramic layer to withstand both high-temperature flames and pressure. The barrier can also remain intact against debris generated during thermal runaway.
LG Chem also verified SFB’s performance in tests simulating actual thermal runaway conditions. In repeated tests involving high-temperature flames and high-pressure particles, SFB withstood temperatures of 1,050°C to 1,200°C more than 12 times. It showed no holes or melting after the tests.
In tests using actual cylindrical battery cells, flames did not spread to surrounding cells even when the center cell was made to explode. A tray using SFB also showed no deformation. LG Chem has expanded the SFB product lineup for use in module covers and housings, battery cell frames and busbar components.
“It is important to delay the propagation of thermal runaway to surrounding cells when a battery fire occurs,” Hyun said. “We will continue developing engineering plastic materials that can be applied to battery components.”