Thermal runaway potential of LiCoO2 and Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 batteries determined with adiabatic calorimetry methodology

Highlights: ► Thermal analysis is employed to classify hazardous rating for Li-ion cell cathodes. ► The thermal hazards of the LiCoO2 cathode at elevated temperatures is significant. ► VSP2 is an alternative measurement of a battery thermal stability evaluation. ► Calorimetry method provide the safety design considerations of Li-ion batteries. -- Abstract: Thermal runaway hazards related to adiabatic runaway reactions in various 18650 Li-ion batteries were studied in an adiabatic calorimeter with vent sizing package 2 (VSP2). We selected two cathode types, LiCoO2 and Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2, and tested Li-ion batteries to determine the thermal runaway features. The charged 18650 Li-ion batteries were tested to evaluate the thermal hazard characteristics, such as the initial exothermic temperature (T0), self-heating rate (dT/dt), pressure rise rate (dP/dt), pressure–temperature profiles, maximum temperature (Tmax) and pressure (Pmax), which are measured by VSP2 with a customized stainless steel test can. The thermal reaction behaviors of the Li-ion battery packs were shown to be an important safety concern for energy storage systems for power supply applications. The thermal abuse trials of the adiabatic calorimetry methodology used to classify the self-reactive ratings of the various cathodes for Li-ion batteries provided the safety design considerations.