Lithium-Ion Fire Extinguishers & Containment

What can Lithium-ion extinguishers be used for?

Lithium-ion extinguishers can be used to tackle fires caused by overheating or defects in lithium-ion batteries. This type of battery can be found in smaller rechargeable devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, vapes, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as larger devices like energy storage units. Lith-ion battery fires burn fiercely hot with toxic vapours. This type of fire extinguisher is designed to put out a fire in the cells of rechargeable devices before it propagates to the entire battery.

There are different types of lithium-ion fire extinguishers:

• Lithco LB6 Extinguishers are water based but use an additive known as P Foam. Due to its low viscosity, the liquid can penetrate electrical devices to reach the source of the fire. Coupled with its ability to absorb and disperse heat, the Lithco fire extinguisher is proven to be very successful in extinguishing fierce L-ion battery fires.
• AVD (Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion) is a mineral-based firefighting agent and is used in LithEx Extinguishers. It is also water based, with vermiculite platelets which surround the burning battery cells and create a barrier to stop the fire spreading to other cells.
• Lithium-ion fire blankets are specifically designed to be used to contain electric vehicle fires. A portable fire extinguisher would be unable to reach the large concealed lithium-ion battery used in an electric car or other vehicle before a fierce blaze takes hold. The car fire blanket works by isolating the fire, smoke and ejected debris until it can be safely extinguished or burns itself out. Li-ion fire blankets can prevent the spread of fire to nearby vehicles and buildings, making them particularly suitable for use in car parks.

What is the difference between Lithium-ion and Lithium batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries (often written as li-ion, lith-ion, or L-ion) are rechargeable and are often found in mobile devices, power tools, vapes and electric vehicles. Lithium batteries are single-use, but will last for an extended period before they degrade or need replacing. Lithium batteries are therefore useful for items that require the battery life to be longer without the need to recharge such as hearing aids, pacemakers and smoke detectors.

Lithium-ion and Lithium batteries have different contents and are constructed differently. Because of the make-up of Lithium-ion batteries (they contain a flammable electrolyte), they can be a fire risk if damaged or if they overheat. Lithium-ion batteries burn ferociously and if the fire is not caught early can be very difficult to extinguish.