Quote:
Originally Posted by Miboater
I worked for a Lithium ion battery manufacturer and while I was on the mechanical side of battery development I do know a little about the chemistry. When you say there are Lithium batteries that combust and some that do not is misnomer. All lithium batteries can combust but to varying degrees. LiFePO4 is the safest chemistry there is that is mass produced but they are still susceptible to thermal runaway but they release heat at a much lower temperature than batteries that contain cobalt and manganese.
I would expect that most lithium batteries in golf carts sold are LiFePO4 chemistry so you probably won't see the fires that you used to see in earlier Lithium ion batteries that used cobalt and manganese. Looking at the damage in the picture it does seem like this was not an outright fire but a lower temperature thermal runaway but it still can do quite a bit of damage.
The safest lithium battery being developed is a solid state battery that does not have a liquid electrolyte as every other lithium battery including LiFePO4. They are having issues with production as it is more complex than an electrolyte battery and the energy density is lower as well. From what I've heard is that by the end of this decade is when they will be ready for mass production.
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Fire isn't the only danger when a Lithium battery decides to immolate itself.
This, from the ttclub website (insurers who specialize in freight insurance and who, it can be assumed, know a thing or two about the dangers of lithium battery fires).
The toxicity of gases given off from any given lithium-ion battery differ from that of a typical fire and can themselves vary but all remain either poisonous or combustible, or both. They can feature high percentages of hydrogen, and compounds of hydrogen, including hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen cyanide, as well as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and methane among other dangerous chemicals.
In terms of hazards to the wellbeing of those in the vicinity of such an incident, one particularly problematic component is hydrogen fluoride (HF). Although HF is lighter than air and would disperse when released, a cloud of vapor and aerosol that is heavier than air may be formed (EPA 1993). On exposure to skin or by inhaling, HF can result in skin burns and lung damage that can take time (hours to weeks) to develop following exposure. HF will be quickly absorbed by the body via skin and lungs depleting vital calcium and magnesium levels in tissues, which can result in severe and possibly fatal systemic effects. The hydrogen content of the released gases can give rise to vapour cloud explosion risks which have the potential to cause significant damage.
Assuming the pictures of the garage damage in an earlier post in this thread is accurate, this can well explain what would appear to be overkill (i.e. sirens, flashing lights, etc.) on the part of the first responders. They know as well as anyone the multiple dangers of a lithium battery fire and are prepared to respond as needed.