Toxic fluoride gas emissions from lithium-ion battery fires

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Lithium-ion battery fires produce intense heat, gas, and smoke.
• Toxic gas emissions are a significant but understudied threat from these fires.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify heat release and fluoride gas emissions from commercial lithium-ion battery fires.
• To assess the impact of water mist as an extinguishing agent on gas emissions.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative measurements of heat release and gas emissions.
• Validation using two independent measurement techniques.
• Testing seven different types of commercial lithium-ion batteries.

Main Results:

• Large amounts of hydrogen fluoride (HF) generated (20–200 mg/Wh).
• Phosphoryl fluoride (POF3) detected (15–22 mg/Wh) in some tests.
• Investigated gas emissions using water mist as an extinguishing agent.

Conclusions:

• Fluoride gas emissions represent a serious toxic hazard from lithium-ion battery fires.
• Findings are critical for risk assessment and management, particularly for large battery systems.
• Further research into mitigation strategies is warranted.