Chemistry is ... Racing Sustainably

Electric vehicles do not only prevent local emissions, they can also be fun. Founded in 2012, the German E.Stall Esslingen team is participating in various international events of Formula Student with an electrically powered racing car. The design of a racing car battery is demanding: it is one of the most important components for the course of the race as it determines whether the driver has enough power to beat the competition. The design needs to meet the Formula Student requirements, like a safe handling of lithium ion cells and the use of flame-retardant materials. A PC+ABS blend with around 10 percent lower density and high mechanical, electrical and thermal properties was selected by the students and the Bayblend product experts from Covestro in order to remove even more weight from the racing car's battery. For mass production, designers are looking for materials that meet the strict requirements of car manufacturers in vehicle operation, but which are also easy to process. Amorphous plastics have the advantage that they are virtually shrinkage-free in the injection molding process and have very low water absorption. This facilitates being able to design thin-walled, distortion-free components.