Safety considerations of lithium-thionyl chloride cells

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:6592527

Subbarao, S; Halpert, G; Stein, I

The use of spirally wound lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl/sub 2/) cells is currently limited because of their hazardous behavior. Safety hazards have ranged from mild venting of toxic materials to violent explosions and fires. These incidents may be related to both user- and manufacturer-induced causes. Many explanations have been offered to explain the unsafe behavior of the cells under operating and abuse conditions. Explanations fall into two categories: (1) thermal mechanisms, and (2) chemical mechanisms. However, it is quite difficult to separate the two. Both may be responsible for cell venting or explosion. Some safety problems encountered with these cells also may be due to design deficiencies and ineffective quality control during cell fabrication. A well-coordinated basic and applied research program is needed to develop safe Li-SOCl/sub 2/ cells. Recommendations include: (1) learnig more about Li-SOCl/sub 2/ cell chemistry; (2) modeling cell and battery behavior; (3) optimizing cell design for safety and performance, (4) implementing quality control procedures; and (5) educating users.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6592527
• Report Number(s): N-87-17396; NASA-CR-180129; JPL-PUB-86-015; NAS-1.26:180129
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
HAZARDS
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONS
FIRES
LITHIUM
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
SULFUR CHLORIDES
TOXICITY
ALKALI METALS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EXPLOSIONS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
POWER SUPPLIES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
250902* - Energy Storage- Batteries- Performance & Testing