The Hazards of Lithium Ion Batteries

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Hazards of Exposure (Thermal)
• The primary concern with lithium-ion chemistries are significant generation of heat and venting of flammable gases.
• As the flammable gases vent, they may ignite and cause jetting flames. If the gases do not ignite during venting, then an explosion hazard can develop if the gases accumulate in an enclosed space.
• In addition to these potential fire, explosion, and toxicity hazards, product enclosures typically prevent suppression media from reaching the problematic battery cells.
• If a fire is suppressed, reignition may occur hours or days after an initial event if all of the cells are not consumed in the initial incident.