Smart Polymer Blends Fuel Innovation in India's EV Sector

In an interaction with Industry Outlook, Karnav Brahmbhatt, COO of Electro Polymers Industries, discusses how India’s expanding EV market is driving innovation in plastics. He highlights how R&D efforts are focused on developing lightweight, thermally stable, and flame-retardant polymer grades. Karnav, a seasoned business leader with over 15 years of experience, specializes in polymer innovation, R&D consulting, and engineering-driven solutions. With a background in marketing, he combines strategic acumen with technical expertise to drive innovation and address complex industry challenges.

With India’s EV market expanding rapidly, how is the demand for lightweight, durable plastics influencing material innovation strategies among automotive component manufacturers? 

New grades of polymers are being developed by modifying existing ones, often through blending and mixing. These developments are being carried out in close collaboration with end-product manufacturers. This back-and-forth engagement, driven by their specific requirements, is helping us create tailored polymer grades that meet their precise needs.

These newly developed grades are not only lightweight but also offer high-temperature resistance, which contributes to improved durability and makes them ideal for use in EV batteries and other components. Additionally, these new grades are cost-effective, especially in the context of EV batteries and other EV-related accessories.

What specific performance challenges, such as thermal management and flame retardancy, are pushing polymer scientists to develop next-generation plastics tailored for EV battery components? 

The basic commodity polymers currently available in the market are not of the best quality. While they are widely used and very cheap, they often have poor thermal properties and can be flammable.

In addition to these existing challenges, I believe that processing these polymers is also somewhat difficult. When different polymers are mixed or blended to meet specific requirements, the resulting material may no longer be lightweight, an important characteristic for EV batteries and other components. These are some of the key issues we are currently facing.

To address these problems, especially in the context of EV battery components, we can turn to high-performance engineered thermoplastics such as PTFE, POM, and PEEK. These materials can be reengineered to meet specific EV requirements, such as being cost-effective, flame-retardant, or offering excellent thermal stability. I believe that using these advanced thermoplastics will help resolve many of the current challenges.

How are Indian Tier-1 suppliers leveraging advanced thermoplastics and polymer blends to enhance vehicle efficiency without compromising mechanical strength or recyclability? 

Many are constantly working on developing specific material grades and conducting research to identify the best fit for various components. As I mentioned earlier, the current grades alone are not always suitable. Therefore, we often go back and forth, mixing and blending different grades to achieve the desired properties. More specifically, the fillers and polymers are being engineered to provide enhanced overall performance for end users, particularly in applications such as EV batteries and other high-voltage electric vehicles (EV) components. This is a continuous process of trial and error, which requires close collaboration with the end user to understand and meet their specific needs, whether those relate to recyclability, mechanical strength, or other performance criteria.

It involves extensive research and development, and, as expected, we do encounter failed results along the way. However, revisiting and analyzing those setbacks helps us understand what went wrong and pushes us forward in developing better-suited solutions.

In the context of high-voltage EV systems, this iterative approach is critical to innovation and delivering materials that meet the evolving demands of the industry.

In the context of high-voltage EV systems, what role do plastics play in replacing traditional metal parts while maintaining safety, insulation, and electromagnetic shielding? 

One of the Key requirements that consistently arise is the need for materials to be lightweight while offering superior mechanical and thermal properties. These parameters are highly sensitive and demand a great deal of precision. In this context, plastics, particularly thermoplastics and thermopolymers, are exceptionally well-suited to meet these demands.

The advantage of thermoplastics lies in their ability to be customized according to specific needs through the use of tailored grades and blending, as I mentioned earlier. This allows us to develop application-specific materials and grades for each component, depending on the required functionality, whether it is insulation, electromagnetic shielding, thermal stability, heat transfer, or simply achieving a lightweight structure.

All of these properties must also align with the essential safety and mechanical standards that are foundational in EV systems. BY selecting and blending the right grades, we can address these complex requirements effectively. I believe this approach enables us to deliver excellent results tailored to the needs of EV batteries and other related components.

How are regulatory requirements and extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies shaping the R&D investments in sustainable, high-performance plastic alternatives for EV applications? 

EV is a growing market in India and globally, I believe the future of the automotive industry is evolving rapidly. At the same time, regulatory requirements and policies are pushing us to explore new possibilities. We must ensure strict adherence to these policies while continuing to innovate within those boundaries.

Blending materials, for example, allows us to remain cost-effective and, more importantly, to deliver safe solutions for specific EV applications. As I mentioned earlier, R&D plays a critical role in this process. However, we must be careful not to exceed the limits set by regulatory frameworks or internal R&D boundaries, all while meeting the performance expectations of our end users.

This is why a trial–and–error approach remains essential. We often need to go back and forth, testing and refining, in order to arrive at the most suitable solution.

What future innovations in polymer chemistry or composite technologies could redefine the role of plastics in India’s next generation of electric mobility platforms? 

The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to the wide and varied range of plastics and the evolving requirements in the market. With electric mobility platforms relying heavily on batteries and requiring high temperature resistance and electrical insulation, there are countless permutations and combinations of materials and solutions we can develop to serve these needs. We can redesign specific polymers for easier processing and improved performance, tailored to meet the precise needs of the end user. As I mentioned earlier, polymer blending, application-specific design, and focused R&D efforts can unlock significant opportunities. These developments have the potential to redefine the role of plastics in the next generation of electric mobility platforms.