"Lithium batteries are widely used both in personal consumer products and in industrial production, transport and other industries. Especially in daily life, almost everywhere visible lithium batteries, like we use mobile phone power supply, electric car power supply, rechargeable treasure, as well as common electric garden tools, automatic sweeping robots, etc. contain lithium batteries.
On the one hand, lithium products bring convenience to our lives, on the other hand, due to product characteristics, lithium batteries have a greater potential danger, and the ensuing safety accidents occur from time to time, and compared to other accidents occurring in a shorter period of time, it is more difficult to completely extinguish, which can cause significant damage to personal property.
From the Samsung Note7 mobile phone battery fire in 2016, to the July 2020 Pudong Airport fire on the plane, especially in January 2020 a COSCO Shipping international trade container ship occurred in the shipment of lithium batteries cargo compartment on fire, affected by the container up to 131, causing huge losses, all these accidents are always reminding us: lithium battery product safety risks have been All these accidents always remind us that the safety risk of lithium products has always existed.
Classification of lithium batteries
The first category is lithium batteries transported separately. Lithium battery as a class of lithium metal or lithium alloy for positive / negative materials, the use of non-aqueous electrolyte solution of the battery, can be divided into two categories of lithium metal batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Lithium metal batteries contain lithium in a metallic state and are usually not rechargeable, while lithium ion batteries do not contain lithium in a metallic state and are rechargeable twice. When transported separately, they correspond to UN Nos. 3090 and 3480.
The second category is lithium batteries transported together with equipment. In actual trade transport, lithium batteries are often transported together with equipment, mainly in two cases. One is that the battery is installed in the equipment, and the other is that the battery is packed together with the equipment. Regardless of the above situation, according to whether the lithium in metallic form, the corresponding UN numbers are 3091 and 3481.
The third category is lithium battery-powered equipment or vehicles. In recent years, all kinds of new energy vehicles powered by lithium batteries are emerging, including bicycles, cars, balance scooters and so on. The International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG) assigns UN No. 3171 to these products.
Relevant laws and regulations
Lithium battery and its lithium products inspection and supervision is mainly based on the United Nations "Model Regulations for the Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods", the United Nations "Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Manual of Tests and Criteria", the International Maritime Organization "International Maritime Dangerous Goods Transport Code", the International Civil Aviation Organization "Technical Regulations for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air" and "Export Dangerous Goods Packaging Inspection Regulations" (SN / T0370.1-T0370.1-T0470.1-T0470.1-T0470.1) T0370.1-2009) (SN/T0370.2-2009) (SN/T0370.3-2012) and so on.
For example, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Transportation Code requires that exported lithium batteries must pass the UN38.3 test and provide a summary of the test. Each cell and battery pack must be equipped with a safety venting device, and if an ordinary accident occurs, it must have a design to prevent breakage by force; each cell and battery pack must be equipped with an effective device to prevent external short circuit; each battery pack containing multiple parallel cells or battery series must be equipped with an effective device (e.g., diode, fuse, etc.) necessary to prevent the danger caused by reversing the current; the manufacturer of the cells and battery packs Must establish a good quality management system and so on.
Export lithium batteries and lithium equipment packaging requirements
The following requirements are mentioned in Article P903 of the Packaging Guidelines of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods List (IMDG). It is divided according to the different product categories, the guidelines apply to UN3090, 3091, 3480 and 3481 under the relevant goods.
1. Cells or batteries packed in packagings shall be protected against damage caused by movement or change of position of the cells or batteries in the packaging. Packagings shall meet the performance specifications for Packing Group II. For cells or batteries with a gross mass greater than or equal to 12 kg in a robust, impact-resistant casing, and for aggregates of such cells or batteries, robust overpacks, protective covers, pallets or other handling equipment are also required. Similarly, such cells or batteries should be secured against accidental movement, and the electrodes should not bear the weight of other stacked items.
2. and equipment packaged together with the battery or battery pack, in addition to its packaging must meet the performance indicators of packing group II, equipment must be fixed, shall not be moved in addition to the outer packaging. The batteries or cells shall also be completely wrapped.
3. Batteries or batteries in equipment, in addition to meeting the previous requirements, should have measures to prevent accidental start-up during transport. The cells or batteries shall also be protected against short-circuiting.
4. When the package contains a combination of lithium batteries in the equipment and lithium batteries packed together with the equipment, the package shall be marked "LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES UN3091 OR LITHIUM-ION UN3481 PLACED WITH EQUIPMENT". If a package contains both lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, the package shall be marked in accordance with the requirements for both battery types.
In addition to the international maritime hazardous packaging guidelines P903 in several points, there are several inspection and regulatory focus on the following need to pay attention to:
Firstly, regardless of lithium-ion battery packs, or lithium-ion battery packs contained in equipment or packaged together with equipment, the watt-hour ratio must be marked on the outside of the packaging.
Secondly, limited quantity packaging is not applicable to lithium-ion products, nor is exemptable quantity packaging applicable.
Thirdly, the package must be labelled or marked with a marking exclusive to lithium batteries. Lithium batteries or lithium packs complying with Article 188 use the "rectangular marking". Other lithium batteries or lithium battery packages use Class 9 dangerous goods "diamond-shaped mark". However, it is not excluded that some countries and regions require the two signs to be posted at the same time, as long as the enterprise can provide information.
Source: 12360 Customs Hotline
