Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere in our lives. They power everything from your smartphone to electric cars.
This battery fires have become more common with the increasing use of these power sources, although they are generally safe.
Over the past five years, both the New York City and San Francisco fire departments have said they have responded — the NYC fire department alone — to more than 660 fires involving lithium-ion batteries.
With the rise of lithium-ion batteries, it is important for companies and employees to have a grasp of the safety hazards, handling best practices and fire prevention methods.
Now, let’s take a closer look at how lithium-ion battery fires ignite, which fire extinguisher to use, and lithium-ion battery safety tips to help mitigate workplace fires and injuries.
What Causes Lithium-Ion Batteries to Catch Fire?
There are two primary reasons that lithium-ion battery fires can happen:
- Manufacturing Defects: These are typically found and resolved by product recalls. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone was recalled for good over repeated battery defects.
- Disturbance Events: These can be caused by vibration, electrical shorts, or any other unforeseen thing.
Facts About Lithium-ion Batteries That You Should Know – Even a light short will cause high self-discharge and little heat accumulation. But when enough microscopic metallic particles come together in one place, a large current can drift between the cell’s electrodes, creating localized heating.
This may thoroughly into the insulation layer resulting in an electrical shortage. It can rise quickly, to 500°C (932°F), at which point the cell ignites or explodes.”
What’s Going on With Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
There are several reasons that lithium-ion battery fires are a serious threat:
- Thermal Runaway: A chain reaction that takes place when a battery’s internal components fail, releasing energy and generating excessive heat.
- Flammable and Toxic Gasses: Upon fire, lithium-ion batteries release highly reactive and even toxic gasses.
- Reignition: Lithium-ion battery fires can reignite even after being extinguished where residual heat remains within the internal battery components.
Preventing Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
Lithium-ion batteries are used to power various devices, for instance:
- Smartphones and tablets
- Electronic device (laptop & etc.)
- Power tools
- Class 1 e-bikes · Class 2 e-bikes · E-scooter
- Electric vehicles
Each of these devices has specific safety considerations to take into account. For instance, do not leave laptops lying on soft surfaces that can obstruct ventilation and cause overheating. Do not expose batteries from power tools to extreme heat or damp. For e-bikes and e-scooters, only use manufacturer-approved chargers and never charge them in enclosed spaces.
How to Put Out a Lithium-Ion Battery Fire
That said, consumer-grade lithium-ion batteries are not made with metallic lithium. A Class D fire extinguisher (combustible metal fire) is not suitable for the lithium-ion battery fire.
Fires from lithium-ion batteries are considered to be Class B fires, or flammable liquids. Batteries are Class B because their liquid electrolytes create a conductive pathway. If you ever do need to put out a lithium-ion battery fire, use a standard ABC or dry chemical fire extinguisher.
Clean Agent Systems for Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
Lithium-ion battery fires especially well addressable with clean agent fire suppression systems This technology employs inert gases and synthetic agents which leave no residue, making them ideal for protecting sensitive electronics and expensive assets.
Some of the key benefits of clean agent systems to lithium-ion battery fires are:
- Fast down: Clean agents can achieve the desired concentration in ten seconds
- Non-conductive: Safe to use near electrical equipment
- No contaminants: Reduces harm to neighboring machinery and property
- Eco-Friendly: Many clean agents have low global warming potential
When it comes to the design and implementation of clean agent systems for lithium-ion battery fire protection, it is important to follow applicable standards and regulations, such as those from NFPA and government authorities, including:
- NFPA 2001: Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems
- NFPA 12: Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems
- EPA Regulations: For clean agents and their environmental impact
- Industry-Specific Regulations: For under data centers or manufacturing facilities
- The effectiveness and safety as well as environmental data of the system is ensured through compliance.
In combating a lithium-ion battery fire, the Fire Department never uses water.
For a massive lithium-ion battery fire, it helps to call the fire department right away. Fire departments have been increasingly training to respond to such fires, which require different tactics than traditional fires.
Safety Tips for Lithium-Ion Batteries
To minimize the risk of workplace fires and injuries associated with lithium-ion batteries, businesses should consider these safety measures:
- Dispose of batteries according to local, state and federal guidelines.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when dealing with small battery fires.
- Always use batteries and charging cords made for particular devices.
- Keep batteries in their original package, in a room-temperature environment.
- Never leave batteries in direct sunlight or in heat.
- Store batteries in a cool, well-ventilated space.
- Store devices and batteries in fire-resistant containers.
- Keep chargers away from fully charged batteries.
- Do not charge devices on pillows or or upholstered furniture.
- Buy devices from approved testing labs.
- Use only manufacturer-provided or authorized replacement batteries and chargers.
- Store boxes with batteries in them uniformly in stacks to avoid tipping.
- Discontinue use if batteries become damaged, and dispose of defective batteries appropriately.
- Discontinue using any devices if the batteries feel hot to the touch or have any signs of damage.
- Storing and Handling Lithium-Ion Batteries Correctly
Key storage methods to avoid lithium-ion fires:
- Store batteries out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
- Keep batteries in a cool, dry location.
- Do not keep batteries with other batteries or metal items.
- Store in plastic cases or in the original packaging.
- Store batteries long-term at around 40% charge.
Recycling and Disposal
Lithium-ion batteries should therefore be recycled or disposed of correctly for both safety and environmental reasons. Many electronics retailers and local recycling centers take used lithium-ion batteries. Never throw these batteries into regular trash, because they can cause fires in waste processing facilities.
Acknowledging the risks of lithium-ion batteries and obeying this rules decreases the chances of battery problems and
Final Thoughts
Because of the rise of lithium-ion battery fires continuing to climb, it is critical for companies to know how to prevent and extinguish the fires to maintain a safe and operational workplace.
Having safety procedures in place are very important, but one point that needs to be made is to ensure you pair with an experienced fire protection company in addition that can make sure you are equipped with the right type of fire extinguisher that can extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire if and when one occurs.