CN-121986020-A - Injection molded articles comprising nonwoven articles and methods of use thereof

Abstract

An injection molded article is described herein that includes a nonwoven and an injection molded edge. Such injection molded articles may be used in thermal management systems, including molding modules. The injection molded article comprises a functional zone comprising a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a nonwoven matrix, and a support member integrally formed along at least one minor side of the substrate so as to enclose at least a portion of the side, wherein the support member comprises injection molded plastic, wherein the tire injection molded article comprises an interior region comprising the substrate in the absence of injection molded plastic, a peripheral region comprising injection molded plastic and in the absence of the substrate, and a transition region between the interior region and the peripheral region, the transition region comprising both the substrate and injection molded plastic when viewing a major surface of the tire injection molded article.

Inventors

• Stephen D Bry
• Nathan L. Wayne
• JACOB D. YOUNG
• STEPHEN R. ALEXANDER
• Eric Bulls
• Charles J. Gatner
• Timothy J. McNulty

Assignees

• 3M创新有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240923

Priority Date

20231016

Claims (18)

1. 1. An injection molded article, the injection molded article comprising: A functional region comprising a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a nonwoven matrix, and A support member integrally formed along at least one minor side of the substrate so as to surround at least a portion of the side, wherein the support member comprises injection molded plastic, Wherein when viewing a major surface of the injection molded article, the injection molded article comprises an interior region comprising the substrate in the absence of the injection molded plastic, a peripheral region comprising the injection molded plastic and in the absence of the substrate, and a transition region between the interior region and the peripheral region, the transition region comprising both the substrate and the injection molded plastic.
2. 2. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven matrix in the transition region is compressed and encapsulated by the injection molded plastic.
3. 3. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven matrix in the transition region is extruded and subsequently expanded within the injection molded plastic.
4. 4. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the injection molded plastic is integrally formed with the nonwoven matrix.
5. 5. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the injection molded plastic is a thermoplastic.
6. 6. The injection molded article of claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic comprises at least one of a polyolefin, a vinyl polymer, a polyacrylate, a polyamide, a polyurethane, a polyurea, a polyimide, a polyester, a polyether, a polystyrene, a polyhydantoin, a polyphenylene oxide, a polyarylene sulfide, a polysulfone, a polycarbonate, or a combination thereof.
7. 7. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the nonwoven is a wet laid material, an air laid material, a melt blown fiber material, or a spunbond material.
8. 8. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the injection molded plastic further comprises a flame retardant material.
9. 9. The injection molded article of claim 8, wherein the flame retardant material comprises aluminum hydroxide.
10. 10. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an encapsulation layer, wherein the encapsulation layer is disposed on at least a portion of an exterior of the nonwoven matrix.
11. 11. The injection molded article of claim 10, wherein the injection molded plastic is integrally formed with the encapsulation layer.
12. 12. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the nonwoven further comprises at least one of fumed silica or vermiculite.
13. 13. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the injection molded plastic surrounds the functional zone.
14. 14. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the support member has a cross-sectional thickness of at least 2mm.
15. 15. The injection molded article of any of the preceding claims, wherein the support member has a cross-sectional thickness of at most 12mm.
16. 16. A battery comprising the injection molded article of any of the preceding claims.
17. 17. Use of the injection molded article according to any one of claims 1 to 15 for industrial applications, in particular for thermal management applications, more in particular for use in the automotive industry.
18. 18. Use of an injection molded article according to any of claims 1 to 15 as a thermal barrier, in particular a thermal runaway barrier, in a rechargeable electrical energy storage system, in particular a battery module.

Description

Injection molded articles comprising nonwoven articles and methods of use thereof Technical Field The present disclosure relates to injection molded articles comprising nonwoven functional areas having injection molded edges. These injection molded articles may be used in thermal management applications such as those found in the automotive industry, for example in electric vehicle batteries. Disclosure of Invention Electric motors used in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles (e.g., automobiles) are at least partially powered by batteries. Lithium ion batteries are commonly used in such applications. These batteries are compactly placed within the vehicle to save space and allow maximum power density. Typically, lithium ion batteries include battery modules or assemblies of individual battery cells. Unfortunately, these batteries may develop a thermal runaway condition in which one of the cells fails and generates a significant amount of heat for various reasons. Heat may transfer to adjacent functional units and cause them to fail. Heat can also cause fires. In such a case, the entire battery module may fire due to the spread of heat, eventually engulfing the vehicle, creating a safety hazard to the vehicle, vehicle occupants, and the vehicle surroundings. Global regulatory bodies are moving toward implementing a regulation that would require battery manufacturers to isolate faulty units, thereby avoiding heat spreading to neighboring units and providing time for occupants of the vehicle to evacuate the vehicle. One strategy to meet these requirements is to use thermal barriers between cells that can delay the propagation of thermal runaway. U.S. patent publication Nos. 2023/0282905 (Wu et al) and 2023/0275289 (Middendorf et al) provide thermal insulation barriers that include a nonwoven matrix containing inorganic fibers and thermally insulating particles held together with a binder. It may be advantageous to contain particles and/or fibers to prevent sloughing, which may lead to fiber and particulate contamination within the battery module and may lead to battery failure. In some embodiments of the thermal barrier, an encapsulation layer is used. However, if the encapsulation layer is used to cover the edges of the nonwoven substrate, there may be folds and/or overlaps of the encapsulation layer. The present application relates to the use of injection molding to seal edges of substrates comprising nonwoven substrates to provide support frames and/or seal edges having geometric dimensions and precise dimensions. In one aspect, an injection molded article is described, the injection molded article comprising: A functional region comprising a substrate comprising a nonwoven matrix, and A support member integrally formed along at least one minor side of the substrate so as to surround at least a portion of said side, wherein the support member comprises injection molded plastic, Wherein when viewing a major surface of the injection molded article, the injection molded article comprises an interior region comprising the substrate in the absence of the injection molded plastic, a peripheral region comprising the injection molded plastic and in the absence of the substrate, and a transition region between the interior region and the peripheral region, the transition region comprising both the substrate and the injection molded plastic. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a battery module comprising the injection molded article of the present disclosure. In another aspect, the present disclosure discloses the use of the injection molded articles of the present disclosure in thermal management applications and/or as a thermal barrier. The above summary is not intended to describe each embodiment. The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and claims. Drawings The following schematic diagrams are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated. Fig. 1A is a schematic top view of an injection molded article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 1B is a corresponding cross-sectional view of an injection molded article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an injection molded article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of an injection molded article according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary battery module assembly according to one aspect of the present disclosure. Fig. 5A is a top plan view of a mold insert 50 for injection molding an article of the present disclosure. Fig. 5B is a photograph of an injection molded article made in accordance with the present disclosure. Fig. 6A is a perspective view of s