Baysafe® EA: Impact protection and passive safety for vehicle interiors, exteriors and high-voltage batteries
The cost-effective and reliable processing of Baysafe® EA allows for the production of geometrically complex crash inserts tailored to the available space in the respective application. With its adapted cell structure and low density of only 40 to 80 kg/m³, the rigid foam strikes a good balance between lightweight construction and safety in its diverse vehicle applications:
Passive safety in interior and exterior
Baysafe® EA is well suited for bumpers and energy-absorbing interior elements such as knee cushions, lumbar supports and head rests. Long-term quality can be achieved due to its high dimensional stability, which reduces the aging-related squeaking and rattling of components. The impact-absorbing foam also allows for energy absorption regardless of the direction of impact. Cost-efficient production is made possible by molding anchoring elements and bonding supports and decorative elements.
Passive safety of high-voltage battery systems
High-voltage batteries in electric vehicles are at particular risk in the event of an accident, as excessive mechanical forces can damage individual cells and consequently trigger a thermal runaway. Therefore, ensuring the safety of battery packs is the primary concern for battery manufacturer.
Due to its adapted foam structure and robust composition, Baysafe® EA effectively limits the mechanical load transferred onto the battery cells to a compression of 60%, regardless of the external impact effect1. Thanks to continuous crosslinks in the foam, its impact protection also exhibits a lower temperature dependency in comparison to other polymer solutions.
Modern battery packs are characterized by efficient use of the available space with active cell material. The good processability of Baysafe® EA enables the production of crash absorbers, which are geometrically adaptable to the limited space within the battery housing.
The Baysafe® EA cell structure can also be used to thermally insulate battery cells from the ambient temperature, which enables battery manufacturer to further support the thermal management of high-voltage batteries and increases the overall performance of the battery.
1 According to internal mechanical material tests at Covestro
Key benefits
- Cost-efficient production: This is achievable through a high degree of automation in polyurethane processing and the adapted Baysafe® EA reaction kinetics.
- Crash protection: Conversion of impact energy into foam cell deformation and heat.
- Load-path independent: Energy absorption is independent on the impact direction.
- Lightweight design: The foam density can be set between 40 and 80 kg/m³.
- Thermal management: The cell structure of the foam has a positive impact on the thermal insulation and thus supports the battery thermal management.
- More effective use of the available space: The good processability of Baysafe® EA allows vehicle manufacturer the design of crash absorbers that are tailored to the available installation space.
