Lithium battery safety

Hying, C. Separion separators for lithium batteries—safety performance. Presented at Batteries 2004, 6th Ed. Paris, June 2-4, 2004. 

H5dng C (2004) Sepaiimi separators for lithium batteries - safety performance, fit Batteries 2004, 6th edn. Paris, 2—4 Jime 2004... 

Health nd Safety Factors. Thionyl chloride is a reactive acid chloride which can cause severe bums to the skin and eyes and acute respiratory tract injury upon vapor inhalation. The hydrolysis products, ie, hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide, are beheved to be the primary irritants. Depending on the extent of inhalation exposure, symptoms can range from coughing to pulmonary edema (182). The LC q (rat, inhalation) is 500 ppm (1 h), the DOT label is Corrosive, Poison, and the OSHA PEL is 1 ppm (183). The safety aspects of lithium batteries (qv) containing thionyl chloride have been reviewed (184,185). 

One of the most important factors determining whether or not secondary lithium metal batteries become commercially viable is battery safety, which is affected many factors insufficient information is available about safety of practical secondary lithium metal batteries [91]. Vanadium compounds dissolve electrochemi-cally and are deposited on the lithium anode during charge-discharge cycle. The... 

The electronic circuit of the safety sensor consists of a p-type silicon electrode, an LED, a resistor, two 3 V lithium batteries, and a platinum wire as a counter electrode, connected in series, as shown in the right part of Fig. 10.7. These components are assembled in a pen-like housing, optimized to measure even thin layers of liquid on a flat surface, as shown in the left part of Fig. 10.7. This configuration is advantageous if a puddle, observed for example under a wet bench or other equipment, is to be analyzed. 

Safety Standard for Lithium Batteries, UL 1642, Underwriters Laboratories Inc, Third Edition, 1995. 

The focus of this chapter is on the electrochemistry of alkali metals, not on the specific technological developments that have led to the successful production of rechargeable lithium batteries, but given the impact of this technology, a brief overview is warranted. The evolving story of commercially successful rechargeable lithium batteries describes the balance of safety with economic concerns, and the balance of fundamental science with... 

In lithium ion rechargeable batteries, shutdown separators are used as part of the overall battery safety system. These devices prevent, or substantially reduce the likelihood of thermal runaway, which may arise from short circuiting caused by physical damage, internal defect, or overcharging. The shutdown separators, will shutdown by a sufficient pore closure to substantially stop ion or current flow within the cell (37). 

The entry of lithium batteries into the consumer market is still quite recent and not much attention has so far been paid to disposal and the possibility of recycling procedures. Lithium metal, although not toxic, is a safety hazard since it is very reactive, especially in contact with water or in high humidity. This makes lithium batteries which have not been fully... 

There are also disadvantages. First, litliium batteries are very expensive. Compared on tiie basis of equal energy content, they may cost three to five times more than Leclanch cells. More serious is the matter of safety. For low power applications, these batteries are quite safe, but high power lithium batteries have been known to explode. For example, accidental heating may melt the lithium (m.p. 180.5°C). This can rupture the protective SET layer, leading to a violent reaction between the metal and the solvent, and eventually to explosion. 

---