New Ceramifiable Silicone Foam Prevents Thermal Runaway Propagation in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Updated on June 10, 2026 • 5 min read

Researchers from China University of Petroleum-Beijing and the China Academy of Safety Science and Technology have developed a new ceramifiable silicone foam composite capable of preventing thermal runaway propagation in lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.

The material addresses one of the most critical safety challenges facing large-scale battery installations, where a single cell failure can trigger a chain reaction that spreads rapidly throughout an entire battery module.

The findings were published in Nano-Micro Letters under the study titled “Constructing Intrinsically Safe Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage via Gradient-Laminated Ceramifiable Silicone Foams.”

Addressing a Growing Battery Safety Challenge

Thermal runaway propagation occurs when a failing battery cell generates extreme heat and high-pressure gas jets that ignite neighboring cells.

During these events:

• Core temperatures can reach 800°C to 1,200°C
• Gas jet velocities can exceed 200 meters per second
• Multiple cells may fail within seconds

Conventional thermal insulation materials often struggle under these conditions.

Organic foams typically degrade above 300°C, while inorganic fiber-based materials can be damaged by high-velocity gas jets generated during battery failures.

Multi-Layer Composite Design

The newly developed material combines:

• Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone foam
• Embedded glass fiber fabric reinforcement
• Ammonium polyphosphate
• Zinc borate
• Kaolin
• Silica aerogel

This gradient-laminated architecture allows the material to remain flexible under normal operating conditions while transforming into a protective ceramic barrier during fire exposure.

The embedded glass fiber network provides structural reinforcement, helping resist penetration from high-pressure thermal runaway gas jets.

Ceramization Mechanism Enhances Fire Protection

When exposed to extreme heat, the composite undergoes a multi-stage protective transformation.

The process includes:

1. Release of inert gases from flame-retardant additives
2. Formation of protective char layers
3. Liquid-phase sintering of kaolin and silica aerogel above 600°C
4. Development of a dense ceramic barrier

This ceramic structure significantly reduces heat transfer and maintains mechanical integrity even under prolonged fire exposure.

Strong Fire and Thermal Performance

Laboratory testing demonstrated substantial improvements over conventional silicone foam materials.

Performance results included:

Property	Result
Heat Release Reduction	54.4%
Smoke Reduction	87.9%
Thermal Conductivity	0.046 W/m·K
Limiting Oxygen Index	33.5%
UL Rating	UL-94 V-0
Compression Cycle Retention	93% after 1,000 cycles

During direct butane flame testing at approximately 1,100°C, the material maintained structural integrity for more than 30 minutes.

The rear surface temperature stabilized at only 97.1°C despite exposure to extreme heat.

Battery Module Testing Shows Successful Containment

Researchers evaluated the material using a three-cell lithium-ion battery module containing commercial 37 Ah prismatic cells.

Three configurations were tested:

No Insulation

Without protection, thermal runaway rapidly propagated to all three cells within seconds.

Conventional Silicone Foam

A 3 mm silicone foam layer delayed propagation but ultimately failed to stop the spread of thermal runaway.

Ceramifiable Composite

With a 3 mm layer of the new composite:

• Thermal runaway remained confined to the initiating cell
• Adjacent cell temperature peaked at 167.1°C
• No secondary thermal runaway occurred

Researchers reported total mass loss of:

• 255.4 grams with the new composite
• 796.3 grams with conventional silicone foam

The results indicate significantly improved containment performance.

Competitive Performance Against Aerogel Insulation

The research team also compared the material against a commercial aerogel blanket.

Both materials successfully prevented thermal runaway propagation.

However:

• Ceramifiable composite: adjacent cell reached 167.1°C
• Aerogel blanket: adjacent cell reached 181.1°C

The lower neighboring cell temperature suggests enhanced thermal shielding performance from the newly developed material.

Manufacturing Advantages

Beyond safety performance, researchers highlighted several practical benefits.

The composite:

• Requires only a 3 mm thickness
• Minimizes impact on battery energy density
• Supports roll-to-roll manufacturing
• Is compatible with large-scale industrial production

These characteristics could facilitate adoption in electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and other lithium-ion battery applications.

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This article is developed based on real engineering experience, machine testing data, and practical production knowledge from Jota Machinery’s work in advanced composite manufacturing.

All technical explanations—including material structure, processing methods, and performance characteristics—are reviewed and verified by our engineering team to ensure accuracy and real-world relevance.

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Editorial Perspective

As battery energy storage installations continue to expand globally, thermal runaway protection has become one of the industry’s highest priorities.

Most current solutions focus on passive insulation, fire suppression systems, or module-level barriers. The development of a lightweight, thin-profile material capable of transforming into a ceramic protective structure introduces a potentially important new approach to battery safety engineering.

The combination of flexibility during normal operation and ceramic protection during failure events could prove particularly valuable for next-generation battery systems where both safety and energy density are critical design requirements.

If future large-scale testing confirms these laboratory results, gradient-laminated ceramifiable silicone foams could emerge as a promising solution for improving the safety of utility-scale energy storage systems, electric vehicles, aerospace batteries, and other high-energy lithium-ion applications.