Issue

Vol. 18 (2026)

Constructing Intrinsically Safe Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage via Gradient-Laminated Ceramifiable Silicone Foams

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02228-2
Shuilai Qiu
College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, 18 Fuxue Road, Beijing 102249, People’s Republic of China
Jingyao Xu
College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, 18 Fuxue Road, Beijing 102249, People’s Republic of China
Congling Shi
Beijing Key Laboratory of Metro Fire and Passenger Transportation Safety, China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, 32 Beiyuan Road, Beijing 100012, People’s Republic of China
Laibin Zhang
College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, 18 Fuxue Road, Beijing 102249, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Congling Shi

shicl@chinasafety.ac.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 18 (2026), Article Number: 384

Abstract

Achieving high safety in energy storage systems is paramount but hindered by the catastrophic risks of thermal runaway propagation (TRP). This study develops a gradient-laminated ceramifiable silicone foam composite to resolve the inherent trade-off between thermal insulation and dynamic impact toughness. By integrating a polydimethylsiloxane foam matrix with a load-bearing glass fiber fabric skeleton, the material utilizes silane coupling agents for robust interfacial adhesion, while multiscale fillers promote synergistic ceramicization. Characterization reveals robust mechanical durability, maintaining stable elasticity across a wide temperature range (− 40 to 300 °C) and retaining 93% residual stress after 1,000 compression cycles. Under extreme thermal exposure, the foam transforms into a dense ceramic barrier, reducing total heat release by 54.4% and sustaining thermal protection for over 30 min. Crucially, during battery module testing, this architecture efficiently intercepts high-velocity gas jets and confines thermal runaway to a single cell. Fabricated via a scalable process, this composite paves a viable way for constructing intrinsically safe energy storage systems.


Highlights:
1 A gradient laminated architecture is engineered to resolve the intrinsic trade off between thermal insulation and impact toughness via synergistic ceramization.
2 The composite exhibits exceptional fatigue resistance with 93% stress retention and stable elasticity across a wid e temperature range ( from 40 to 300 °C).
3 The formed dense ceramic barrier effectively intercepts high pressure gas jets, confining thermal runaway to a single cell in battery modules.

Keywords

Thermal runaway propagation Gradient-laminated structure Ceramifiable silicone foam Intrinsically safe Energy storage systems
Qiu, Shuilai, Jingyao Xu, Congling Shi, and Laibin Zhang. 2026. “Constructing Intrinsically Safe Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage via Gradient-Laminated Ceramifiable Silicone Foams”. Nano-Micro Letters 18 (May):384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-026-02228-2.
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