en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 14, 2026, South Korean chemical company ICH has completed the development of high-performance flame-retardant polyurethane foam (PU Foam) for energy storage systems and has begun supplying it to US renewable energy company Flatiron Energy Development.
The product will ultimately be applied in energy storage systems (ESS) through domestic and international supply chains. ICH recently completed product development and has entered the mass production application phase. The developed polyurethane foam is designed to simultaneously meet the requirements for flame retardancy, cushioning, insulation, and lightweighting within battery systems. In the event of a fire, this material can suppress flame spread, accommodate battery cell expansion and contraction with cushioning properties, while also incorporating insulation performance and lightweight elements.
An ESS is a structure integrating multiple battery cells and modules. In addition to flame retardancy, internal materials must also possess insulation, structural stability, vibration damping and cushioning, as well as the ability to adapt to changes in battery cell shape. During repeated charge and discharge cycles, battery cells undergo swelling. Therefore, there is growing demand for materials that can accommodate swelling while balancing system design efficiency and lightweighting. The company stated that as the ESS industry increasingly adopts designs that ensure system safety and energy density, the application scope for such polyurethane foam is expanding.
ICH developed the ESS polyurethane foam based on material design technologies and mass production experience accumulated in the mobile information technology (IT) industry. Through this product development, the company has expanded its material business scope to include functional auxiliary materials used inside battery systems. Future plans include expanding product evaluation and application consultations with customers, advancing the development of materials suitable for various ESS system structures, and increasing the customer base and application fields for functional materials in the battery and ESS sectors.
An ICH representative stated that as the battery and ESS industries move toward high-end development, materials within systems are also required to possess composite performance beyond single functions. This product is a case of extending material technologies accumulated in the mobile IT field to functional materials for batteries and ESS. ICH had previously developed thermal diffusion prevention pads that delay flame and heat spread during battery thermal runaway. This latest product is a battery system internal material that simultaneously offers flame retardancy, cushioning, insulation, and lightweighting functions, and the company plans to expand the related product series.
