As the electrification of transportation and energy systems accelerates, the battery pack has become one of the most critical components in modern engineering. While battery cells themselves often receive most of the attention, the enclosure that houses and protects these cells plays an equally vital role. It must maintain structural integrity, protect against thermal runaway, resist chemical corrosion, and provide electrical insulation - all while keeping weight and cost in check.
This makes material selection for battery enclosures a multi-physics challenge - one that demands a deep understanding of how materials perform under combined mechanical, thermal, electrical, and chemical loads. Traditional material selection methods often fall short when these domains interact. That's where Altair® Material Data Center™ (AMDC) steps in.
In this blog, we explore how AMDC streamlines the material selection process for battery pack enclosures, enabling smarter, simulation-driven decisions.
Key Selection Criteria:
Choosing the right material goes far beyond reviewing datasheets. A battery pack enclosure must perform reliably in harsh and unpredictable environments. It must meet strict regulatory requirements while balancing performance, safety, and manufacturability. This demands evaluation across multiple physical domains.
Let’s break down the essential criteria -
- Thermal Requirements
- Flame Retardancy: Materials must meet UL 94 5VA or equivalent, to ensure fire containment and regulatory compliance.
- Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE): Maintains dimensional stability under temperature changes, critical for sealing and alignment.
- Mechanical Requirements
- High Tensile Modulus: The material must support structural loads and resist deformation.
- Low Density: Lightweight materials help reduce overall vehicle weight and improve efficiency.
- Electrical Requirements
- High Volume Resistivity: Provides necessary insulation and safeguards against electrical faults.
- Special Characteristics
- Chemical Resistance: Material must withstand exposure to coolants, electrolytes, and cleaning agents to ensure long-term durability.
Find the Perfect Match Using Advanced Search & Filters:
Altair® Material Data Center™ provides a comprehensive database and intelligent search tools, helping engineers to pinpoint materials that meet all critical requirements - across physics domains. Here's how it addresses each requirement:
- Filter by material type - Search across metals, polymers, composites, and more.
- Advanced property search - Find materials with key attributes such as flame retardancy, chemical resistance, or specific mechanical thresholds.
- Side-by-Side Comparison: Use interactive charts to compare properties and performance.
- Find Alternatives: Identify similar materials with comparable thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties.
- Export Simulation-Ready Data: Seamlessly integrate material models into your CAE workflows.
Want to see it in action? Watch the workflow on YouTube -
Battery pack enclosure design isn’t just about choosing a strong or flame-retardant material. It's about finding the optimal multi-physics balance across all performance domains - a complex task that Altair® Material Data Center™ simplifies with its vast database and smart filtering capabilities.
By embracing a multi-physics approach, engineers can create safer, lighter, and more durable enclosures that meet the growing demands of electric mobility and energy systems.
Explore Altair® Material Data Center™ today and start making smarter, faster material decisions for your next-generation electrical and electronics components. To access Altair® Material Data Center™, go to - https://materials.altairone.com/page/landing
