Battery Material Spotlight: 3M™ FRB-NT Insulating Paper

Within the E-mobility and battery energy storage (BESS) markets, manufacturers must utilize cutting-edge performance materials to comply with increasingly competitive safety and performance standards.  Materials like the topic of today’s product spotlight, the 3M™ FRB-NT Insulating Paper, play an important role in mitigating thermal runaway damage and cell-to-cell propagation.  

3M™ FRB is a family of high-performance insulation material engineered for a range of different applications. The lower density and laminated variants of the FRB-NT family offer solutions to various issues within the E-Mobility sector, mainly providing electrical insulation and cell-to-cell propagation protection for battery packs.  

We sat down with David Stankes, Application Engineering Sr. Specialist in 3M’s Electrical Markets Division to get the inside scoop on the primary benefits and applications for the FRB-NT Material.  Let's take a deeper dive into what the 3M FRB-NT is capable of. 

Burst Through Technology 

The 3M FRB insulating paper can be utilized to cover battery modules and preferentially burst if one cell goes into thermal runaway. In this event, the 3M FRB paper covering the failing cell will burst through, ejecting the heat and sparks upwards and away from neighboring cells. The remaining paper, still covering the other battery cells, acts as an umbrella, shielding them from debris that subsequently rains down.

Since the paper was engineered specifically to fail in this manner, no prior stressing or scoring is required to ensure it bursts through successfully. Without this propagation protection, one cell reaching thermal runaway can be detrimental to the entire battery pack.

Limiting battery failure to just one cell is integral to battery safety and can help prevent dangerous thermal runaway events.  

Electrical Insulation 

In complex industries such as e-mobility and energy storage battery production, it’s important for materials to have multi-functional capabilities. 3M FRB-NT fits that bill, as it offers electrical insulation capabilities as well as thermal runaway protection. Due to its high-temperature resistance, 3M FRB has been utilized in electrical busbar insulation where other insulation options, like polymeric coatings, are not viable. These electrical insulation capabilities also help prevent cell conductivity at high temperatures and electrical paths between battery cells.  

Why 3M FRB? 

With many different insulation materials on the market, it’s important to understand what sets each material apart. Let's take a look at what makes 3M FRB stand out when compared to a typical insulation material, Mica: 

	3M FRB	Mica
High Flame Penetration Resistance
Engineered Burst Through Ability
Inorganic
Electrical Insulation

As explained by Stankes, “Mica is the de facto insulation barrier material used in many of these types of designs. It’s received in sheets or on a board and must be converted into the necessary form to go into the battery. The ability to properly fabricate Mica would necessitate the use of a mill, whereas FRB material only necessitates a rotary die-cutting machine."  

Most often, components must be fastened within the battery by adhesives. Due to the composition of Mica, you may run into difficulties bonding with an adhesive leading to failure of the insulation surface. This can require costly reworks, yield issues, and different specialty tapes to make it work. In contrast, FRB can be installed cost effectively, at scale.”  

3M FRB’s unique ability to mechanically fail at the right temperature coupled with its flame penetration resistance make it a durable, yet functional option. In other words, it doesn’t fail until it needs to. 3M FRB can also be utilized for electrical busbar insulation which helps make it such a versatile performance material.  

Your Trusted Converting Partner 

While choosing the right high-quality performance material for your battery or e-mobility project is crucial, the best way to ensure your project's success is by partnering with a specialized converter like JBC Technologies.  

Thanks to our experienced team of engineers and our relationships with trusted global suppliers like 3M, JBC Technologies can convert high-performance materials into custom die-cut parts that meet even the most stringent requirements. Our vertically integrated production processes allow us to engineer and manufacture parts at high volumes while saving you time and money.   

From material selection to rapid prototyping, a converting partner can take you through every step of the production life cycle with precision and care.  

Contact us today to learn how we can convert your concepts into reality.