Chosen for their low weight and high efficiency, lithium-ion batteries are a central part of electric cars, battery-powered tools and smartphones. However, their extremely high energy density harbours considerable risk of fire. Dangerous goods packaging expert, ZARGES, is expanding its portfolio with the launch of the K470 Battery Box aluminium case, specially designed for transporting and safekeeping lithium-ion batteries.
The automotive industry is increasing the use of lithium-ion batteries in response to the current electric car trend. Likewise, such batteries are a central component in e-bikes and a desirable feature of many modern power tools. This is principally due to the fact that they are relatively lightweight and provide maximum performance, so they are common in drills, electric garden appliances and other tools.
However, lithium-ion batteries are considered dangerous goods and are only allowed to be transported in secure containers because the battery may be damaged by improper handling, and in the worst case, a damaged battery may cause a fire. Retailers of these products are now faced with the challenge of safely storing defective batteries or securely sending them back to the manufacturer – without allowing the damaged battery to ignite.
Usually, an alert is raised if smoke is seen escaping from a package holding a battery. However, the ZARGES K470 Battery Box case avoids this from happening. The new dangerous goods packaging is specially designed for transporting and storing a defective or damaged battery in a safe and convenient way. The interior of the case is coated with an intumescent material. In case of fire, the case’s interior swells up and prevents the flames from spreading further. The underlying principle: the special absorbent material ensures that solid components are filtered out of the battery gases and that liquid constituents condense on the fibres’ surface. This is how ZARGES’ aluminium cases prevent any leaked flammable gases from igniting.
“In an emergency, a dangerous goods case must be able to absorb the energy released from a fire,” explained ZARGES Product Manager, Michael Blum. Therefore, the ZARGES case was subject to a fire test with very strict criteria: the container’s surface must not exceed a temperature of 100°C.
“The ZARGES K470 Battery Box case’s proven safety in event of a fire offers a solution to all manufacturers and retailers needing to transport lithium-ion batteries safely,” said Blum.
See ZARGES at Safety & Helth Expo 2018 (19-21 June) on Stand R405.
