Highlights Lithium-ion batteries face safety risks from manufacturing defects and impurities. Copper particles frequently cause internal short circuits in lithium-ion batteries. Future research targets better detection and mitigation of metal foreign defects.
Lithium-ion batteries used to power equipment such as e-bikes and electric vehicles are increasingly linked to serious fires in workplaces and residential buildings, so it's essential those in charge of such environments assess and control the risks. Lithium-ion batteries are now firmly part of daily life, both at home and in the workplace.
How difficult is in-situ characterization of lithium-ion batteries?
The difficulty in in-situ characterization of batteries lies in finding non-destructive ways to observe these processes comprehensively. Additionally, lithium-ion batteries are complex physical-chemical systems with multiple coupling fields.
Over the past four years, insurance companies have changed the status of Lithium-ion batteries and the devices which contain them, from being an emerging fire risk to a recognised risk, therefore those responsible for fire safety in workplaces and public spaces need a much better understanding of this risk, and how best to mitigate it.
How does mechanical abuse affect lithium-ion batteries?
Mechanical abuse can result in capacity loss and increased internal resistance of the battery. Particularly, when the SOC of a lithium-ion battery reaches 80%, it can also explode under quasi-static loading. Numerical simulation methods for lithium-ion batteries under mechanical abuse were introduced.
Does state of charge affect mechanical response and safety of lithium-ion batteries?
The Impact of State of Charge (SOC) on the Mechanical Response and Safety of Batteries For safety reasons, the majority of mechanical abuse experiments on lithium-ion batteries are currently conducted at a low state of charge (SOC).
Thus, LIB safety is frequently discussed in the literature on electrochemistry and risk management. Thermal runaway incidents involving LIBs are often attributable to mechanical, electrical, or thermal factors; runaway can occur because of intrinsic safety defects in the battery or inappropriate battery usage [,, ].