Lightweight New Energy Vehicles: Magnesium Hydroxide Cable Material Density ≤ 1.25g/cm ³
A new type of cable material with low density and environmentally friendly halogen-free characteristics, magnesium hydroxide (Mg (OH) ₂) composite cable material, is gradually entering the industry's field of vision. The density of this material can be controlled below 1.25g/cm ³, which not only meets the urgent demand for lightweight in new energy vehicles, but also takes into account key properties such as flame retardancy and temperature resistance, becoming a major innovation direction in the current field of cable materials.
1、 Why do new energy vehicles need lightweight cables?
With the development of electric vehicle platforms towards high voltage and high power, the application scope of high-voltage wiring harnesses continues to expand, and their quantity and total length also increase accordingly. If traditional materials are continued to be used to manufacture cables, the total weight of the vehicle's wiring harness will significantly increase, directly affecting the vehicle's energy consumption performance and range.
In addition, excessive cable weight can also bring a series of engineering problems, such as increased difficulty in wiring, rising installation costs, and increased load on suspension systems. Therefore, using cable materials with lower density and lighter weight is an indispensable part of achieving the strategy of vehicle lightweighting.
2、 The limitations of traditional cable materials
The commonly used flame-retardant cable materials in the current market mainly include two types: aluminum hydroxide filled type and halogen based flame-retardant type. Among them:
Although aluminum hydroxide filling material has a certain flame retardant effect, its high filling ratio can easily cause the material to become brittle, affecting the flexibility and mechanical strength of cables.
Although halogenated flame retardant materials can effectively reduce the risk of combustion, they can release toxic gases and thick smoke in fires, posing significant safety hazards and not meeting increasingly strict environmental regulations.
More importantly, the density of these two types of materials is generally high, making it difficult to meet the core demand of new energy vehicles for "lightweighting".
3、 Advantages and characteristics of magnesium hydroxide cable material
Magnesium hydroxide, as a green halogen-free flame retardant, has received increasing attention in the cable industry in recent years. And applying it to cable materials for new energy vehicles demonstrates multiple advantages:
1. Density as low as 1.25g/cm ³ or below
Through the advancement of formula optimization and material modification technology, mature magnesium hydroxide composite cable material products have been developed, with a stable density controlled below 1.25g/cm ³ and a weight reduction of over 10% compared to traditional materials. This feature makes it an ideal choice for lightweight cables in new energy vehicles.
2. Environmentally friendly and non-toxic
After combustion, magnesium hydroxide only generates water vapor and magnesium oxide, without releasing harmful gases or producing a large amount of black smoke. It complies with multiple international environmental standards such as ROHS and REACH, and is particularly suitable for applications with high personnel density or safety requirements.
3. Good flame retardant performance
Magnesium hydroxide has a high thermal decomposition temperature (about 340 ℃), which can release crystalline water and form a dense carbide layer at high temperatures, effectively suppressing flame spread and improving the overall fire resistance of cable systems.
4. Excellent heat stability
Under sustained high temperature conditions, magnesium hydroxide can still maintain structural stability and is less prone to thermal aging, which helps to extend the service life of cables and ensure the long-term reliable operation of the vehicle's electrical system.
4、 Actual application performance of magnesium hydroxide cable material
Several domestic cable companies have successfully applied magnesium hydroxide composite cable materials in actual production and received good feedback. For example, in the high-voltage wiring harness project of a certain pure electric SUV model, the company used environmentally friendly sheath materials mainly filled with magnesium hydroxide, with cable density controlled at around 1.23g/cm ³, and the overall weight reduced by about 12% compared to traditional materials.
More importantly, after undergoing UL 94 V-0 flame retardant testing, thermal aging testing, and long-term operation verification, the cable has shown excellent performance indicators, fully demonstrating the practical value of magnesium hydroxide cable material in the field of new energy vehicles.
It can be foreseen that with the coordinated promotion of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain and the continuous improvement of technological processes, magnesium hydroxide cable materials will usher in a broader application space in the field of new energy vehicles.