Pioneering the Future of Battery Safety: The Research Team’s Challenge in Developing Thermal Runaway Suppression Material
2025. 03. 11
The advancement of battery technology has accelerated the growth of the electric vehicle market. However, concerns about battery fires remain a critical issue. To address this problem, LG Chem’s research team has developed a ‘thermal runaway suppression material’ that blocks the flow of electric current in response to temperature changes. This material acts as a ‘fuse’ in the early stages of heat generation, helping to reduce the risk of battery fires. Furthermore, its technology has been recognized by both the global battery industry and academia after being published in the renowned scientific journal Nature Communications. Today, we have the opportunity to meet the research team behind the development of this ‘thermal runaway suppression material’ and hear their story.
Q. Hello, please introduce yourselves.
Ki-Hwan Kim: Hello, I’m Ki-Hwan Kim, a member of the Core Technology & Surface Processing Technology Project under LG Chem’s CTO division. Our team focuses on enhancing the performance of LG Chem’s materials and developing innovative, differentiated materials.
Joon-Koo Kang: Hello, I’m Joon-Koo Kang from the Core Technology & Surface Processing Technology Project under LG Chem’s CTO division. I oversee the development of thermal runaway suppression materials. Our team’s mission is to create cutting-edge technologies and products and advance them toward commercialization.
From left: Senior Manager Joon-Koo Kang, Research Director Noma Kim, and Research Fellow Ki-Hwan Kim
Q. LG Chem has explored various technologies and materials to prevent thermal runaway. How does the newly developed ‘thermal runaway suppression material’ differ from previous ones?
Ki-Hwan Kim: You may be familiar with battery fires and thermal runaway. Until now, technologies primarily focused on preventing the expansion of flames once a fire had already started, much like fire-resistant clothing. While traditional technologies acted as fire suppression systems that mitigate the transmission of flames after ignition, this new technology functions as a fuse, preventing the fire from occurring in the first place. If a short circuit* happens inside the battery, it cuts off the flow of electricity, effectively suppressing the fire at its source.
Joon-Koo Kang: Previous technologies only needed to block heat without considering cell performance. However, since this new technology operates inside the battery, it must ensure both safety and maintenance of cell performance.
*Short circuit: A condition where the battery’s cathode and anode come into direct contact, also known as an internal short circuit. When this occurs, it generates heat, which can potentially lead to a fire.
Q. How does the thermal runaway suppression material work?
Joon-Koo Kang: The primary cause of battery fires is short circuits, which occur when the cathode and anode come into direct contact. This typically happens due to three main factors: first, when the battery is punctured by a sharp object; second, when the cell deforms due to impact; and third, when prolonged exposure to high temperatures alters the internal materials. When a short circuit occurs inside the battery, the voltage drops rapidly, and the internal temperature rises sharply. The material we developed responds to the changes in voltage and temperature by increasing resistance, effectively acting as a ‘fuse.’
Ki-Hwan Kim: When a short circuit occurs in electric heating devices, a large amount of current flows at once, leading to a fire. LG Chem’s new product operates on the principle of raising its resistance the moment a short circuit occurs, cutting off the flow of electricity. In other words, when excessive current flows, it automatically blocks the electricity, suppressing fire hazards at the source. The core of this technology is that it not only increases resistance as the temperature rises but also reacts to voltage increases. Typically, an internal short circuit in a battery occurs at temperatures above 150°C. However, we have designed our material to respond within the 80–120°C range, allowing it to block current flow before any internal issues arise.
Joon-Koo Kang: Unlike conventional technologies that function outside the battery cell, the thermal runaway suppression material is applied directly inside the cell, ensuring fundamental prevention of fire hazards. Additionally, this material is incredibly thin—just 1 micrometer (㎛) thick, which is about 1/100 the thickness of a human hair. The biggest challenge was designing it to function effectively inside the battery without compromising its performance. However, by overcoming this hurdle, LG Chem was able to develop a truly distinctive and innovative technology.
Q. Developing a material just 1/100 the thickness of a human hair must have been challenging. How long did it take, and what was the biggest hurdle you faced?
Ki-Hwan Kim: Developing such a thin layer was a highly intricate process. We started with concept verification in 2021 and moved into full-scale development in 2022. In total, the research phase lasted about two years.
In the early stages, we relied on our partners for cell production instead of making them in-house, which slowed down the process of achieving our desired results. By 2023, we set up a small-scale pilot process to manufacture and evaluate cells internally, significantly accelerating development. We also worked with external partners for electrode coating while producing pouch cells (similar in size to phone batteries) in-house, allowing us to quickly identify and resolve issues.
Joon-Koo Kang: We also had to go through the process of identifying and partnering with the right cell manufacturers and electrode coating companies. Finding a partner capable of executing the process we envisioned required extensive testing and overcoming numerous errors. However, these experiences ultimately helped refine our research, and in the end, we successfully achieved the desired thickness.
As mentioned earlier, this new material operates inside the battery, meaning it had to ensure safety without compromising performance. Unlike previous materials applied externally with minimal impact, this technology required a thin layer that could function internally while maintaining battery efficiency. Balancing both stability and performance was the key challenge.
Ki-Hwan Kim: There were several challenges during the research, but active discussions and cooperation among team members served as the driving force that kept us moving forward. Whenever we encountered difficulties, we sought solutions through in-depth discussions with our leader. Within the research team, a culture of open communication and cooperation was fostered, ultimately enabling us to successfully develop the technology.
Moreover, the aspiration to develop a groundbreaking technology served as a key driving force. Since this was an entirely new technology with the potential to significantly enhance battery safety, we remained committed to our research despite the challenges we faced.
As our research progressed, we received growing attention from client companies. After publishing our research paper, global automotive OEM companies reached out to us directly, making it clear that this technology was genuinely needed in the industry. Such feedback became a strong motivation for us to continue pushing our research forward.
Joon-Koo Kang: The cooperation and communication among team members were the greatest sources of strength. R&D is never the achievement of a single individual; it is a collective process where each member plays their role and works together to solve challenges. In particular, while preparing our research paper, the collaboration with Senior Researcher Song In-Taek, the first author, and our external partner, Professor Lee Min-Ah from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), was immensely valuable. Through discussions on research direction and problem-solving, we exchanged ideas and discovered even better solutions.
In the research process, there are moments when we fall short of our goals or encounter failures. However, our team members did not see these setbacks as burdens; instead, we embraced them as opportunities for growth. Whenever improvements were needed to meet client requirements or research objectives, we accepted the challenges with humility and persevered. This mindset became a key driving force that allowed us to continue our research.
From left: Senior Manager In-Taek Song (First author), Senior Manager Joon-Koo Kang, and Research Fellow Ki-Hwan Kim
Q. This research gained significant attention in academia with its publication in Nature Communications. What key points did you aim to highlight in this paper?
Ki-Hwan Kim: We aimed to emphasize two main aspects in our paper.
First, the technological advancement of our innovation. Unlike conventional technologies, our newly developed thermal runaway suppression material functions directly within the battery cell, automatically responding to voltage and temperature fluctuations to cut off the electric current. We wanted to highlight this breakthrough to both the academic and industrial sectors. While most prior research concentrated on containing fire spread, our study is particularly meaningful as it introduces a proactive method to prevent fire outbreaks from occurring in the first place.
Our second objective was to strategically promote our technology to global automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers, attracting more attention from them. While companies often focus more on securing patents than publishing research papers, our research director advised that ‘achieving objective validation of our technology’s superiority through a globally recognized journal’ would be crucial for effectively demonstrating its uniqueness. This insight led us to pursue the publication of this paper.
Joon-Koo Kang: Promoting our distinctive technology to automotive OEMs and industry leaders came with certain challenges. We believed that publishing our paper in a prestigious journal like Nature Communications would open doors to technology inquiries and collaboration opportunities from major global automotive OEMs, especially in Europe and North America. As it turned out, the response after the publication far surpassed our expectations.
Ki-Hwan Kim: Our research being featured in a prestigious journal, along with the increasing public concern over electric vehicle fires, sparked widespread interest across the industry. The response after the paper’s publication was overwhelming. We received a surge of direct inquiries and document requests from global automotive OEMs, and even rival material companies approached us with seminar requests.
Typically, we are the ones reaching out to client companies to introduce our technology. However, after our research was published, the response was entirely different—clients proactively reached out to us, requesting technical details and documentation. We believe that this paper was instrumental in showcasing the distinctiveness and importance of our technology, serving as a catalyst for heightened industry interest.
Academia also showed great interest, with multiple research institutions inviting us to submit our paper to their journals. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the industry and academia made this a truly rewarding experience for our research team.
Q. What are the next steps toward commercializing this technology?
Joon-Koo Kang: For our thermal runaway suppression material to be applied in batteries, it must first pass certification by battery cell manufacturers and undergo rigorous testing by automotive OEMs. Before moving into mass production, we need to complete a pilot phase to confirm its commercial viability and ensure it does not negatively impact battery performance or safety.
Our published research validates the performance of our technology using small pouch cells, comparable in size to mobile phone batteries. However, our ultimate objective is to ensure the same level of effectiveness in larger cells, such as those used in electric vehicles. Given the significantly higher capacity of EV batteries and the increased risks associated with thermal runaway, broadening the technology’s application is critical. Based on our current projections, we plan to introduce this technology in mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) by 2026–2027, with integration into electric vehicle batteries expected by 2029.
Ki-Hwan Kim: Commercialization isn’t just about R&D; it also requires assessing the feasibility of mass production and setting up a reliable supply chain. To achieve this, continuous cooperation with battery manufacturers and automotive OEMs is essential. We remain committed to ongoing discussions with our customers to facilitate product implementation.
Q. Tell us about the research and development culture at LG Chem.
Ki-Hwan Kim: LG Chem fosters an open culture in research and development. R&D often requires cross-departmental collaboration, and LG Chem excels in this aspect. Our study on the thermal runaway suppression material was no exception—we worked closely with multiple teams within the Core Technology Research Center and actively engaged with external institutions and partners. Research here is never a solitary effort; the strong culture of open dialogue and collective problem-solving greatly contributed to the success of our work.
Joon-Koo Kang: I’d also like to emphasize LG Chem’s strong culture of valuing researchers’ input. There is an open and receptive atmosphere where new ideas are thoroughly reviewed and, when beneficial, integrated into the research process. This culture allows researchers to explore creative approaches freely and provides ample opportunities to take on new challenges in technology development.
Ki-Hwan Kim: A culture of collaboration, open communication, and encouragement to take on challenges has a positive impact on researchers, serving as a driving force behind more innovative breakthroughs. Additionally, LG Chem boasts a top-tier global R&D infrastructure that nurtures this culture. The company offers cutting-edge facilities and advanced equipment for experimentation and data analysis, as well as ample human and material resources to support research efforts.
Q. Finally, what are your future aspirations?
Joon-Koo Kang: Our primary goal is commercialization. At its core, our research aims to transform the technology into real products that improve battery safety. While our research has been published and is drawing strong interest from the industry, the most important step is making this technology commercially viable and accessible to customers. Beyond just developing a new material, I see this research as a step toward fulfilling LG Chem’s mission of ‘connecting science to life for a better future.’ Ultimately, our goal is to enhance EV battery safety and integrate this technology into daily life to create a better, safer world.
Ki-Hwan Kim: My primary goal is to revolutionize battery safety using our developed material. If our technology can play a role in fundamentally preventing battery fires, I believe it will contribute significantly to both human safety and sustainability.
Beyond that, I value the importance of growth through collaboration. R&D is fundamentally a human-driven effort, and the most impactful innovations come from teamwork. Personally, I aim to create an environment where our team members support and learn from one another, fostering collective growth and success.
With the expansion of the electric vehicle market, securing battery safety has become an essential priority. The thermal runaway suppression material is the result of LG Chem’s relentless pursuit of challenges and innovation. LG Chem will continue the research efforts to create safer batteries, paving the way for a more sustainable future.
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