Covestro polymers for home storage solar power battery

The BMZ Group's Lithium-ion home storage systems use Bayblend FR3040 from Covestro to safely position the individual battery cells in a so-called cell holder.

German battery manufacturer BMZ GmbH, a system supplier for lithium-ion batteries, has successfully developed a range of stationary Li-ion home batteries for solar power systems with the support of polymer speciality company Covestro AG.

These battery home storage devices make the power generated by solar panel systems available independent of the time of the day and the position of the sun. BMZ, which markets the devices under its own name as the EES 7.0, EES 9.0 and ESS X storage series, uses Covestro’s fire-retardant polycarbonate blends with tailored properties – Bayblend (PC+ABS), which offer good mechanical properties, high impact strength, and high flowability.

Such features allow the material to achieve “the thinnest possible walls” between the individual battery cells when the cell holders are injection moulded.

Covestro supported the various BMZ battery projects with material selection, during plastic-compatible component design and with CAE-based component simulations to meet the requirements of the UN Transport Test for Batteries (UN 38.3).

It also helped the company with mouldflow analyses and technical injection moulding support.

"Every battery project is technically demanding, which is why I am all the more pleased that plastics from Covestro can make an important contribution here," said Jens Ufermann from Covestro, who works with BMZ GmbH directly.

Covestro particularly noted the importance of its “in-depth” understanding of battery systems in the safety aspects of the batteries developed.

"Our… many years of experience in materials for battery applications enable us to provide our customers with both technical expertise and suitable products," added Julian Marschewski, market development manager in Electric Vehicle Battery Packaging.