Lithium ion battery fires
NTA 8133
“The toughest lithium ion battery test there is”
The Dutch government has recognized the risk of lithium ion battery fires and the need for effective extinguishing agents. They asked KIWA and the Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute to develop a technical guideline to test the suitability of portable fire extinguishers for lithium ion battery fires.
In November 2021 this has resulted in the NTA 8133 (Nederlandse Technische Afspraak). The NTA 8133 is the first publication for lithium ion battery fires with medium capacities up to 600 Wh. Such chargeable batteries are to be found in handheld electronics, such as smartphones, laptops, electric tools, household equipment, portable medical equipment, toys, radio-controlled objects, drones and e-bikes.
Test procedure
In a pack of 6 fully charged lithium pouch cells of each 100 Wh, the third cell is brought into a thermal runaway by means of overcharging. The time between start of over-charging and start of the fire lies between 7 and 9 minutes.
As soon as the first flames occur, the extinguishing effort will start. The fire must be extinguished within 3 minutes. During 20 minutes after the fire has been extinguished, no re-ignition may occur. After 20 minutes minimum 1 pouch cell must be saved and operating. When 2 out of 3 attempts are successful, the test has succeeded.
In 2 consecutive attempts a 9 liters handheld extinguisher with Hydrogel has managed to save 3 pouch cells! The best result in all NTA 8133 tests so far.
