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Lithium battery explosion risks, causes, prevention and response

Lithium battery explosion: risks, causes, prevention and response

In October 2024, an explosion occurred at a lithium battery recycling plant in Missouri, USA, which aroused widespread concern about the li ion battery safety. At the same time, lithium battery-related fire accidents are also increasing worldwide. For example, lithium battery fires in New Zealand surged by 17% in one year.

These accidents not only caused huge economic losses, but also posed a serious threat to people’s lives and property. This article will explore the causes and potential risks of lithium battery explosion in depth, and provide prevention and response measures to improve public safety awareness.

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Case analysis of lithium battery explosion accidents

Explosion at a lithium battery recycling plant in Missouri, USA

Time: October 30, 2024
Location: Fredericktown, Missouri, USA
Unit: Critical Mineral Recovery lithium battery recycling plant
Loss: The factory was completely burned down, the economic losses were huge, and a large number of fish died in the downstream river
Cause analysis: The recycling plant handles a large number of waste lithium batteries (explore how to recycle lithium batteries), which may have problems such as battery aging, damage or improper operation, causing thermal runaway and explosion.

Electric bicycle explosion in Haidian District, Beijing

Time: October 2024
Location: Residential community in Haidian District, Beijing
Loss: Electric bicycle caught fire and exploded, fortunately no casualties
Cause analysis: It may be caused by unqualified quality of electric bicycle batteries, overcharging (expolre battery overcharge) or aging of lines.
Lithium battery-related fire accidents are increasing worldwide

Surge in lithium battery fire incidents in New Zealand

Time: In the past year
Growth rate: 17%
Cause analysis: Improper operation during charging, storage and handling, and a wide range of equipment involved (drones, electric bicycles, cars, etc.).

These cases show that lithium battery explosion and fire accidents are universal and diverse, covering multiple links such as production, recycling, and use, involving electric vehicles, consumer electronics and other equipment.

Analysis of the causes of lithium battery explosion

The causes of lithium battery explosion are complex and diverse, but ultimately they are all related to thermal runaway inside the battery (find thermal runaway lithium ion battery). Here are some of the main reasons:

The chemical properties of the battery itself

  • High energy density: The energy density of lithium batteries (explore battery energy density) is much higher than that of other batteries, which means that once thermal runaway occurs, a large amount of heat energy will be released, accelerating the reaction and causing an explosion.
  • Active chemical properties: Lithium metal has active chemical properties and is easy to react with oxygen, water and other substances to generate heat and gas.
  • Flammable organic electrolyte: Lithium batteries use organic electrolytes, which are flammable and volatile and will burn rapidly under high temperature or short circuit conditions.

Improper use

  • Overcharge: Overcharge will cause changes in the structure of the positive electrode material, decomposition of the electrolyte, production of a large amount of gas, increased internal pressure, and eventually explosion.
  • Overdischarge: Overdischarge will cause chemical side reactions inside the battery, affecting battery performance and life, and may produce gas, leading to explosion.
  • Overcurrent operation: Overcurrent will cause internal heating of the battery, accelerate chemical side reactions, and increase the risk of explosion.
  • High temperature, low temperature or humid environment: Extreme environment will accelerate battery aging and reduce battery stability and safety.
  • External force damage: External forces such as extrusion and puncture will damage the battery structure, leading to short circuit and thermal runaway.
Main causes of lithium battery explosions

Battery manufacturing defects

  • Impurity mixing: Impurities mixed in during the production process may cause internal short circuits.
  • Uneven electrode coating: Uneven electrode coating will affect the charging and discharging performance of the battery and increase the risk of overheating.
  • Damaged diaphragm: The diaphragm is a key component to prevent direct contact between the positive and negative electrodes. Damage will cause a short circuit.

Other reasons

  • Charger mismatch: Using an unmatched charger may cause overcharging or overcurrent.
  • Cell and protection board mismatch: Cell and protection board mismatch may cause the protection function to fail.
  • Assembling with inferior scrapped cells: Using inferior cells will greatly increase safety risks.
  • Internal short circuit of the battery: When the positive and negative electrodes of the battery are connected to each other in an abnormal path with very low resistance, that is, when we often say short circuit, a very large current and heat will be generated inside the battery. The generated heat and excessive electrical energy release will not only cause serious damage to the battery life, but also for lithium batteries made of sealed packaging, a certain amount of pressure will be generated inside, resulting in a sudden increase in the internal pressure of the battery, and because the chemical properties of lithium ions are very active, the shell will eventually burst and burn.

Premonitions of lithium battery explosion

What are the signs of lithium battery explosions

Discovering the signs of lithium battery explosion in time can buy us precious time for escape and handling. The following are some common signs:

  • Battery heating: The battery temperature continues to rise, exceeding 65°C and continues to rise.
  • Battery deformation: The battery shell or single cell shows obvious expansion and deformation (understanding what is a swollen battery).
  • Electrolyte leakage: The battery electrolyte leaks to the outside through the seal or joint.
  • Irritating odor: The battery emits an irritating odor, which may be the gas produced by the decomposition of the electrolyte.
  • Abnormal current and voltage: The battery monitoring system detects abnormal fluctuations in current, voltage or internal resistance.

Countermeasures for lithium battery fire

How to deal with lithium battery fires

Use fire extinguishers correctly

First choice for fire extinguishing: Water is the first choice for emergency disposal of lithium battery fires, which can effectively reduce the battery temperature and prevent the spread of thermal runaway (explore lithium battery fire suppression).

Assisted by dry powder fire extinguishers: Dry powder fire extinguishers can extinguish surrounding flames, but cannot effectively prevent thermal runaway of lithium batteries.
Unplug the power supply before watering: If the lithium battery is plugged into AC power and catches fire, be sure to unplug the power supply before watering to prevent electric shock and secondary fire.

Safe evacuation

  • Keep calm: If you find that the lithium battery is on fire or exploded, stay calm and quickly judge the fire and the surrounding environment.
  • Timely evacuation: Evacuate to a safe area immediately and call the fire alarm.
  • Avoid inhaling smoke: Cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel to prevent inhalation of toxic smoke.

Measures to prevent lithium battery explosion

How to prevent lithium battery explosions
  • Choose qualified products: Choose lithium batteries produced by regular manufacturers: Buy branded and guaranteed lithium batteries.
  • Avoid buying unqualified products: It is strictly forbidden to buy unqualified electric vehicles and accessories.
  • Use the charger correctly: Use the original charger: Use a charger that matches the battery specifications.
  • Avoid overcharging: Unplug the charger in time after fully charged to avoid long-term charging.
  • Avoid external force damage: Avoid squeezing and puncture: During use, avoid severe damage or damage to the battery.
  • Prevent high temperature exposure: Avoid exposing the battery to high temperature environments, such as in a car under direct sunlight.
  • Safe storage: Avoid humid environments: Store in a dry and ventilated place, away from humid environments.
  • Avoid high temperatures: Avoid storing the battery in high temperature environments.
  • Regular inspections: Check the appearance of the battery: Regularly check whether the battery has abnormal conditions such as deformation and leakage.
  • Check the charger: Check whether the charger is working properly and whether the connecting wire is aging.

Precautions for safe use of electric bicycles

To prevent fire hazards and ensure the safety of people and property, users must strictly adhere to the following regulations when parking, charging, or modifying electric bicycles. The following high-risk behaviors are strictly prohibited:

No unauthorized modifications

Do not modify batteries, electrical wiring, or install additional devices such as audio systems or lighting without proper authorization. These alterations can easily lead to circuit overload, short circuits, and fires.

No illegal parking

Electric bicycles must not be parked inside residential units, underground garages, basements, or semi-basements that lack proper fire separation, supervision, and fire protection measures. Improper parking increases the risk of severe fire accidents.

Precautions for safe use of electric bicycles

No "flying wire" charging

Charging electric bicycles using makeshift methods is strictly forbidden. This includes running wires through windows or across public areas, installing unauthorized outlets, or using non-compliant charging setups. Such practices pose serious fire and electrical hazards.

No prolonged or unattended charging

Avoid charging the vehicle for extended periods, especially overnight or without supervision. If the battery or wiring malfunctions during this time, it could lead to overheating, fire, or even explosion.

No charging near flammable materials

Always charge electric bicycles away from flammable or combustible materials such as wooden structures, foam insulation, cardboard boxes, paint, and fuel. A single spark or battery failure can ignite a major fire.

No charging in unauthorized areas

It is strictly prohibited to charge electric bicycles in public areas such as building foyers, stairwells, evacuation passages, overhead spaces, or emergency exits in residential or crowded places. Additionally, batteries must not be removed and brought indoors for charging, as this also poses serious fire risks.

Conclusion

Lithium battery explosion is a complex safety issue involving multiple aspects such as the characteristics of the battery itself, the use environment, and manufacturing quality. Improving public awareness of lithium battery safety risks, taking effective preventive measures, and mastering the correct response methods are the key to reducing lithium battery accidents. Through the joint efforts of government supervision, corporate responsibility, public participation, etc., we can minimize the risks brought by lithium battery explosions and protect people’s lives and property.
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Chase Wu
Chase is an industry expert and independent analyst specializing in electric two- and three-wheeler battery swapping systems. His expertise spans lithium-ion battery technology, intelligent battery swapping infrastructure, and electric mobility applications, with a strong focus on real-world deployment, market dynamics, and long-term industry development.
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