Recently added item(s)
You have no items in your basket.
With the increasing number of fires involving Lithium-ion (Li-on) batteries and the losses that often result, naturally enough, people want to be able to put them out quickly.
In theory, this should be straightforward if you consider them a simple Class A (combustible solids) fire with some electrical energy involved, just as may be found in a typical building.
However, the physical and chemical properties of Lithium-ion batteries in fire and thermal runaway is such that standard extinguishers, which you might normally expect to be effective, have limited or no effect.
Bearing in mind that the minimum temperature of a Lithium-ion battery cell on ignition is 500◦C and the chemical mix inside is an oxidiser which produces its own oxygen supply, these are the results when trying normal extinguishers on an Li-ion battery fire:
Water: While water will cool a Lithium-ion battery fire (but not extinguish or control it), you need large quantities of it. A typical 6 or 9 litre water extinguisher will not have sufficient capacity to cool the battery cells below the auto ignition temperature, which means that often thousands of litres are required!
Water additive: The chemical salts or surfactant in water additive extinguishers break the surface tension of the water allowing better soaking and wetting of materials – but the issue here isn’t penetration, but heat absorption and a typical 3 or 6 litre water additive extinguisher simply doesn’t have the volume to cool sufficiently.
Foam: Foam will form a film or blanket over the surface of a flammable liquid to smother the fire and also have some cooling action. However, yet again, the capacity is insufficient for cooling and as the fire is primarily solid, it is not capable of being blanketed. And even if it was, the fire is self-oxidising and at such a temperature that any blanket is soon burnt away.
Powder: Powder chemically inhibits fire by interrupting the chain reaction as opposed to any cooling or significant smothering effect. This means that whilst the flames will die down or disappear whilst the extinguisher is discharged, they quickly regain their original intensity once the extinguisher is spent due to the significant residual heat, oxygen, and fuel. Whilst ABC type powders have the additional property of melting/fluxing over burning embers to form a sticky coating to reduce reignition, it does not fully encapsulate the battery, nor provide a thick enough layer to overcome the powerful heat and thermal runaway reaction.
CO2: CO2 works by displacing oxygen and whilst the discharge is cold there is no real cooling effect on the fuel source. The high temperatures and self-oxidising reaction of a Li-ion battery’s thermal runaway means that CO2 has no effect as the temperature is not reduced and the thermal runaway produces its own oxygen sufficient to sustain the reaction until the CO2 disperses.
Wet Chemical: Designed for cooking oil fires because of their own high temperatures, these extinguishers are ineffective on Li-ion batteries as they do not have enough capacity for sufficient cooling by the water content and the chemical salts in the extinguisher. Whilst excellent for saponification of cooking oil into a soapy sludge that dries and crusts, they have no effect on the battery reaction.
How can you fight a Lithium-ion battery fire?
An effective extinguishing agent for use on Lithium-ion battery fires cannot rely on cooling alone but needs to somehow contain and encapsulate the battery to limit the reaction, contain the gases and prevent access to external oxygen for a prolonged period of time, so the battery can gradually cool down and the risk of fire spread is reduced.
AVD: Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion is an aqueous dispersion of chemically exfoliated vermiculite which is applied as a fine mist. The water content has a cooling effect, which leaves behind a film of vermiculite particles, which builds up as the extinguisher is discharged to fully encapsulate and insulate the battery, controlling the reaction until it ceases as the battery naturally cools. It is this encapsulation that allows an AVD extinguisher to be successful where other water-based extinguishers are not.
The Firechief newly extended Lithium-ion Battery Safety Range includes Lith-Ex Fire Extinguishers, specialist fire blankets, suppression kits and fire resistant containers, and PyroFlow, mineral based lithium-ion battery fire suppression granules. All the products in the range are designed to mitigate the risk of and fight Lithium-ion battery fires, so if you need the ability to tackle a Li-ion battery fire it’s crucial to have the correct equipment and to train and equip your staff to be able to use it safely. Don't rely on standard extinguishers that aren't up to the challenge of Lithium-ion battery fires.
Fire Depot has been the UK's favourite fire safety supplier for over 50 years, we know the fire protection and prevention business inside out. Our experienced team can offer advice and guidance about any of our fire safety products. For expert help and advice, please contact the Fire Depot team on 0330 999 2233, email us at sales@firedepot.co.uk or visit https://www.firedepot.co.uk/ to see our full range of fire safety products.
The information contained within this blog is provided solely for general informational and educational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon this information, we advise the reader to consult any and all relevant statutory or regulatory guidance and where felt necessary to consult a qualified fire or industry regulation professional. The use or reliance on any information contained herein is solely at the reader’s risk.
