BASF develops durable plastic for EV cooling systems

In electric and hybrid vehicles, frequent battery charging and continuous thermal management mean components such as pumps and valves in cooling systems must operate for 45,000 to 55,000 hours at operating temperature, compared with roughly 5000 hours for typical petrol or diesel cars.

These extended duty cycles present new challenges for engineering plastics, particularly those in direct contact with coolants. In most EV systems, this involves long-term exposure to water–glycol mixtures at elevated temperatures, which can accelerate chemical ageing if materials are not carefully designed.

For this reason, German chemicals giant BASF has developed a new generation of polyamide materials designed to survive these harsh conditions. 

Until recently, the durability of thermal-critical plastics was most often assessed using air-heat ageing tests but BASF has now shifted this approach to better reflect real-world EV conditions by ageing materials in water–glycol mixtures, a process known as hydrolysis storage.