Renovables

For lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, damage to the battery’s protection circuit or damage to the cell itself can lead to dangerous thermal runaway, which can result in catastrophic damage through fire and explosion.

The electrolyte in a lithium-ion battery is flammable and generally contains lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) or other Li-salts containing fluorine. In the event of overheating, the electrolyte will evaporate and eventually be vented out from the battery cells.

Researchers have found that commercial lithium-ion batteries can emit considerable amounts of hydrogen fluoride (HF) during a fire, and that emission rates vary for different types of battery and state of charge levels. Hydrogen fluoride can penetrate skin to affect deep skin tissue and even bone and blood. Even with minimal exposure, pain and symptoms may not present for several hours, by which time damage is extreme.