There are so many cheap and non-brand lithium batteries available in the market right now that it can be a very confusing task for the customer to choose between them and a good brand. Today we are going to discuss regarding the fire hazard of cheap non-brand lithium batteries in this article.

Lithium battery fire hazards are associated with the high energy densities coupled with the flammable organic electrolyte. This creates new challenges for use, storage, and handling. Studies have shown that physical damage, electrical abuse such as short circuits and overcharging, and exposures to elevated temperature can cause a thermal runaway in a poor quality battery. This refers to rapid self-heating from an exothermic chemical reaction that can result in a chain reaction thermal runaway of adjacent cells.

Manufacturer’s defects such as imperfections and/or contaminants in the manufacturing process can lead to thermal runaway. The reaction vaporizes the organic electrolyte and pressurizes the cell casing. If (or when) the case fails, the flammable and toxic gases within the cell are released. The severity of a runaway battery reaction is, in part, related to the buildup and release of pressure from inside of the cell. As a result, the cell construction can be a major variable pertaining to the severity of a battery incident.

The resulting reaction can look anywhere from a rapid venting of thick smoke (i.e., smoke bomb/smoker), to a road flare, to a steady burn, to a fireball to an explosion. See below figure.

The severity of the reaction is generally a function of a number of parameters including battery size, chemistry, construction and the battery state of charge (SOC). In almost every significant battery reaction, the same hazardous components are produced; flammable by-products (e.g., aerosols, vapors and liquids), toxic gases and flying debris (some burning), and in most instances, sustained burning of the electrolyte and casing material.

During a venting reaction (i.e., no ignition of the vented products), the products consist primarily of electrolyte constituents. For most batteries, the products typically consist of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2) and hydrocarbons (CxHx). These gases are flammable and present fire and explosion risk.

For the burning scenario, the electrolyte burns efficiently producing primarily carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as the by-products. For most batteries, the products typically consist of CO2 and water vapor. The burning reaction also tends to liberate the fluorine from the lithium salt dissolved in the electrolyte. The fluorine typically reacts with hydrogen to form hydrogen fluoride (HF). HF production is also proportional to the electrical energy stored in the cell/battery and can result in dangerous concentrations. HF reacts with the water vapor produced during the reaction and/or with the mucus membranes in the human body (i.e., eyes, nose, throat, lungs) and becomes hydrofluoric acid.

EverExceed Lithium batteries have been tested in several phases to check individual cell precisely to avoid such fire hazard. We maintain strict quality control so that not a single damage cell can be released from our factory premises.