Borealis and Topas collaborate on engineering materials for high thermal capacitor film applications

Borealis and Topas Advanced Polymers have begun a collaboration to develop new engineered materials for capacitor film applications that will bridge the current performance gap between standard and high-end polymers
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The solution uses Borealis' PP resin and Topas' Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC)
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By significantly improving the temperature resistance of film capacitors at a lower cost, the new material will reportedly be a game-changer for power conversion and transmission
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It will make traction inverters for electric vehicles more energy efficient at higher temperatures and enable the inverters to more efficiently convert electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar
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Compared to capacitors made from standard PP polymers, the EPN (ethylene-propylene-norbornene) COC material currently under development will significantly improve the temperature resistance of film capacitors by 30-45°C overall
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Combining the highest electrical purity with excellent uniformity, the new material will be designed to produce ultrathin, highly consistent films in the 2 to 6 micron range
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This new material will work on standard BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) film processors as long as the proper processing parameters are in place
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High-performance film capacitors are a key element in all power conversion systems, enabling green energy conversion in a cost-effective manner
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The new material class, currently jointly developed by Borealis and Topas Advanced Polymers, will be used in electric vehicle units, especially where higher durable temperature resistance and consistent frequency control are required, such as in electric vehicles and high-speed trains
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It will also help address one of the main challenges of the green energy transition, which is to provide more cost-effective and energy-efficient capacitors for inverters that convert offshore and onshore renewable resources such as wind farms or photovoltaics The HVDC generated by the array) is converted to HVAC and returned with minimal energy loss
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Anton Wolfsberger, Project Director of Borealis' Strategic Polyolefins business, said: "To replace conventional energy with renewable energy, energy conversion and transmission must be more efficient and economical
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Meeting this challenge is our goal in partnership with Topas Advanced Polymers
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"