Flame‐Retardant Bio‐Based Thermo‐Flexible Phase‐Change Composites with Antivibration and Low‐Contact Resistance for Advanced Battery Thermal Management

Batteries face critical challenges in thermal management, including overheating risks, poor interfacial contact, and mechanical vibration–induced performance attenuation. To address these issues, we developed a flame‐retardant bio‐based thermo‐flexible phase‐change composite (VHPs) by integrating vanillin‐derived polyols (VED), hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene‐modified expanded graphite (HPEG), and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The HPEG hybrid filler effectively suppresses the “popcorn effect” of EG while significantly enhancing thermal conductivity, achieving a 246.90% improvement over neat polyurethane (PU). The thermally flexible polyurethane matrix reduces interfacial thermal resistance by 40% at 60 °C due to PEG soft‐segment melting, enabling conformal wrapping around batteries. During 36 000 s of charge/discharge cycles, the VHPs reduced the battery temperature by 10 °C and increased the discharge capacity by 53.84% at 3C rates. Compared to the reported phase‐change materials, VHPs uniquely integrate flame retardancy (peak of heat release rate reduced to 136.58 kW m −2 ), vibration resistance (compressive strength of 0.28 MPa at 50% strain), and infrared stealth (IR transmittance <0.04% in 3–25 μm). This work provides a sustainable, multifunctional solution for advanced battery thermal management, enhancing both safety and energy efficiency in high‐power applications.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Energy & environment materials
Published
2026-01-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/eem2.70207
Primary Topic
Phase Change Materials Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Flame‐Retardant Bio‐Based Thermo‐Flexible Phase‐Change Composites with Antivibration and Low‐Contact Resistance for Advanced Battery Thermal Management

Yajie Gui, D. Zhang, Fangchao Cheng, Dongying Hu et al.
Energy & environment materials
Phase Change Materials Research
article

Flame‐Retardant Bio‐Based Thermo‐Flexible Phase‐Change Composites with Antivibration and Low‐Contact Resistance for Advanced Battery Thermal Management

Yajie Gui, D. Zhang, Fangchao Cheng, Dongying Hu, Ruijuan Wang, Shichao Feng, Jiapeng Wei, Shuofan Yue
article en

Abstract

Batteries face critical challenges in thermal management, including overheating risks, poor interfacial contact, and mechanical vibration–induced performance attenuation. To address these issues, we developed a flame‐retardant bio‐based thermo‐flexible phase‐change composite (VHPs) by integrating vanillin‐derived polyols (VED), hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene‐modified expanded graphite (HPEG), and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The HPEG hybrid filler effectively suppresses the “popcorn effect” of EG while significantly enhancing thermal conductivity, achieving a 246.90% improvement over neat polyurethane (PU). The thermally flexible polyurethane matrix reduces interfacial thermal resistance by 40% at 60 °C due to PEG soft‐segment melting, enabling conformal wrapping around batteries. During 36 000 s of charge/discharge cycles, the VHPs reduced the battery temperature by 10 °C and increased the discharge capacity by 53.84% at 3C rates. Compared to the reported phase‐change materials, VHPs uniquely integrate flame retardancy (peak of heat release rate reduced to 136.58 kW m −2 ), vibration resistance (compressive strength of 0.28 MPa at 50% strain), and infrared stealth (IR transmittance <0.04% in 3–25 μm). This work provides a sustainable, multifunctional solution for advanced battery thermal management, enhancing both safety and energy efficiency in high‐power applications.

Energy & environment materials
Guangxi University (CN)
Guangxi University, Guangxi Key Research and Development Program
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 98%
Phase Change Materials Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Flame‐Retardant Bio‐Based Thermo‐Flexible Phase‐Change Composites with Antivibration and Low‐Contact Resistance for Advanced Battery Thermal Management — Yajie Gui, D. Zhang, et al. · Energy & environment materials (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS