Because the Special Flame Retardant CFT is solid and has low deformation under force (high rigidity), it can be used in the top and bottom covers of large battery packs among electric vehicle (EV) battery components. The material is anticipated to effectively delay the spread of flames in the event of an EV fire, helping to ensure sufficient time for driver evacuation and fire suppression.

LG Chem and fellow Korean company LX Hausys have developed a thermoplastic material for delaying battery thermal runaway that can withstand a flame at 1,500℃ for more than 20 minutes. The material, dubbed Special Flame Retardant Continuous Fiber Thermoplastic (Special Flame Retardant CFT), can withstand strong flames and high pressure more than 14 times longer than existing thermoplastics.

Construction will commence this fall, with production projected to start in the second half of 2025. A temporary packaging site will open in an existing building nearby in early 2024 and create up to 500 jobs.

The factory will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility, with 100% of its day-to-day energy needs matched by renewable energy generated by an onsite solar park. The site also will be designed to minimize energy consumption and use of non-renewable resources, said the Denmark-based toymaker.

When subjected to LG Chem's internal torch test reaching temperatures exceeding 1,500°C as well as pressure, the 1.6-mm-thick Special Flame Retardant CFT did not melt, drip, or develop any holes even after 20 minutes. This is reportedly the industry’s highest level of flame-blocking performance.

“This is an exciting step for the Lego Group,” said CEO Niels B. Christiansen. “More and more families are falling in love with Lego building and we are looking forward to making Lego bricks in the US, one of our largest markets. The location in Virginia allows us to build a solar park, which supports our sustainability ambitions, and provides easy links to country-wide transportation networks. We are also looking forward to creating fantastic employment opportunities for the people of Virginia.”

The thermal runaway phenomenon is one factor delaying market penetration of EVs. LG Chem and LX Hausys hope their material will resolve this issue.

The Special Flame Retardant CFT incorporates LG Chem's super flame-barrier material and LX Hausys' continuous-fiber thermoplastics (CFT) manufacturing technology. A flame-barrier material developed by LG Chem last year had the capacity to withstand flames at temperatures exceeding 1,000℃ for over 10 minutes, the longest duration in the world at the time. LX Hausys improved the performance of the LG Chem material by applying manufacturing technology that adds layers in the form of tape.

Lego announced today that it plans to invest more than $1 billion to build a new factory in Chesterfield County, VA. Once completed, the 1.7-million-square-foot facility will employ more than 1,760 people over 10 years, according to Lego.

Tom Shin, head of marketing, engineering materials, said, “We have been working closely with LX Hausys since we developed and announced a super flame-barrier material last year. We are proud to have a total solution lineup [super flame barrier, glass fabric laminated thermoplastics and continuous fiber composite tape] for EV thermal runaway. We will continue research and development to make the daily lives of electric vehicle drivers safer while addressing customer pain points,” he added.

The Virginia factory will be the Lego group’s seventh factory globally and its first in the United States. The company’s manufacturing site in Monterrey, Mexico, currently primarily supplies the US market. Lego said that it will be expanded and upgraded to meet growing demand for Lego products. The company also recently announced that it would expand factories in Europe and China and build a facility in Vietnam.

Lego reported big gains during the pandemic as consumers turned to its building sets for entertainment during and after lockdowns, reported the New York Times. Its revenue jumped 27% in 2021 to $55.3 billion Danish krone, or about $8.06 billion, up from $43.7 billion Danish krone, or about $6.36 billion, the previous year, according to the Times.

Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and a proud dachshund owner.

In 2022, LG Chem completed the development of “super flame-barrier” materials and started mass production. Super flame-barrier materials that can be molded with high precision are primarily used in battery modules. The Special Flame Retardant CFT developed this year, on the other hand, is used for the main battery pack cover that encases the entire module. Employing materials together can provide a double barrier against the spread of flames.

Construction will begin this fall in Chesterfield County, with production projected to start in the second half of 2025.