Have we got to the point where we need a fire extinguisher box for batteries, of the lithium-ion kind? Norikazu Ishigaki, assistant prof at Nagoya University in Japan, certainly seems to think we do. He has invented a container to transport lithium-ion batteries that’s able to suppress or extinguish fires. We’re not kidding. This is for real.
Why Do We Need a Fire Extinguisher Box?
That question is almost superfluous. We hear stories each week of lithium-ion batteries overheating in people’s pockets, and in aircraft overhead storage bins. So we have to act smart to protect our interests.
There’s nothing wrong with lithium-ion chemistry though, provided battery manufacturers follow the rules. The problem is with rogue manufacturers that cut corners, and fool consumers into thinking their products are genuine.
Engineering a State of Battery Fire Suffocation
Norikazu Ishigaki’s fire extinguisher box for batteries looks pretty compact, although perhaps to large for a pocket. The Asahi Shimbun news channel explains how this container ‘creates a state of suffocation, that can easily and safely extinguish fires if they occur’.
The ‘wallet in a box’ in our image is apparently just one example of the many shapes and sizes possible. The device generates non-flammable gas inside the container. This gas ‘covers the surface of burning materials, and chokes off the oxygen supply’ according to the report.
This ‘solid extinguishing agent’ made of ammonium phosphate salts, works as follows:
- The solid extinguishing agent prevents heat escaping, if the battery temperature inside the box increases.
- A chemical reaction generates non-flammable gas. This fills the container creating a ‘pseudo-sealed space’.
- The solid extinguishing agent reacts further if the lithium-ion battery ignites and / or produces flames.
- Additional gas reduces the internal oxygen level, suppressing the fire and preventing it from spreading.
Norikazu Ishigaki and his team have evaluated and verified their invention. They are preparing to commercialize their fire extinguisher box for batteries, and we wish them all the best.
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