Why are flame-retardant plastics essential for charging piles?

 However, the safety issues that followed have gradually emerged - according to data from the emergency management department, there are over ten thousand fires caused by illegal charging across the country each year, 80% of which are directly related to the lack of supervision over charging equipment and the delayed detection of faults. Today, from the perspective of materials science, we will uncover the secrets of charging piles.

1. Harsh outdoor environment

The working scenarios of charging piles are far more complex than imagined. In open-air parking lots, they have to withstand extreme temperature differences ranging from -30 ℃ to 70℃. Near the gas station, it is necessary to resist oil and gas corrosion. During thunderstorms, one also has to deal with instantaneous high pressure. These environmental factors can accelerate material aging. Once plastic components lose stability, they may cause short circuits and fires. Therefore, the plastic used for charging piles must meet the "five core properties": pressure resistance, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, flame retardancy and insulation.

2. Disassembly of Key Components

From the perspective of the overall structure of the charging pile, 80% of the plastic components need to be made of flame-retardant modified materials, and the core application scenarios are concentrated in three major modules:

(1) Charging pile shell

As the "outer garment" of the charging pile, the shell not only needs to withstand wind and rain but also prevent the spread of flames when there is an internal circuit failure. Currently, halogen-free flame-retardant PC/ABS alloy materials are used. This material achieves UL94 V0 level flame retardancy by adding flame retardants. It also combines the high-temperature resistance of PC and the impact resistance of ABS, preventing the shell from cracking and exposing the internal components. More importantly, the halogen-free feature complies with the EU RoHS environmental protection standard. It does not release toxic gases when burning, and even in the event of a fire, it can reduce harm to the environment and rescue workers.

(2) Charging gun and plug

The charging gun is the direct contact point between people and charging piles. It needs to be plugged and unplugged multiple times a day and is exposed outdoors for a long time. Its shell and internal insulating parts are usually made of flame-retardant PA66+ glass fiber reinforced material. The advantages of this material lie in: high strength, aging resistance and High flame retardancy.

(3)Internal electrical components

The enclosures and frames of key electrical components such as circuit breakers, contactors and terminal blocks inside the charging piles are mostly made of flame-retardant PBT materials. It itself has excellent electrical insulation and heat resistance. After adding flame retardants, it can remain stable at a long-term working temperature of 120℃, and its flame retardancy grade reaches UL94 V0 level, effectively preventing the spread of flames to other components and buying time for the activation of circuit protection devices (such as fuses).

Many people mistakenly believe that "flame retardancy reaching V0 level is sufficient", but in fact, the selection of materials for charging piles is the result of "multi-dimensional balance". Polyrocks is willing to join hands with industry partners to empower the new energy industry with material technology and jointly safeguard the future of green travel.