The proper storage of Li-Ion batteries and lithium batteries presents companies and private individuals with increasingly large challenges. Because of the possible dangers posed by batteries, special care is required here – at the same time, the use of lithium-ion batteries in everyday life continues to rise. Whether in smartphones, notebooks, e-bikes, power tools, the storage of the PV system, or in the electric car and electric bus, ever more powerful lithium batteries are a fixed part of professional and private life. The safer and proper storage of the batteries is all the more important when they are not in use.
- Find the right storage option for Li-Ion batteries
- Battery storage boxes / storage containers
- Genius Lio Guard boxes for Li-Ion batteries
- Zarges K470 Battery Safe – the versatile container for Li-Ion batteries
- Priorit Priopack and Priosmart storage containers
- This is how the battery boxes become fireproof / fire-resistant
- Fireproof or fire-resistant containers for batteries?
- PyroBubbles® as filling material in the battery containers – PyroBubbles boxes
- Reinforcement of battery boxes by fire-resistant panels
- For every battery type the right storage box
- Store e-bike batteries safely
- Boxes for e-bike batteries / bicycle batteries
- Fireproof boxes for bicycle batteries / e-bike batteries
As large as the applications and capacities of Li-Ion batteries are, so is the spectrum of storage containers and storage facilities in which the lithium batteries can be stored. From the small battery storage container for individual smartphone / notebook batteries to battery containers with medium volume to large containers for batteries in which extremely powerful Li-Ion batteries can also be stored, the market offers suitable solutions for every user and every use scenario.
Very often, companies or private individuals look for a simple, safe and at the same time inexpensive solution to store lithium-ion batteries, without imposing specific requirements. Then the different boxes and containers come into play – depending on how much storage capacity is required or, for example, in what condition the batteries are. Intact cells can be stored in different boxes than, for example, defective batteries, which pose a significantly greater risk. When choosing the right storage containers for Li-Ion batteries, one can choose between different volumes (small, medium, and large storage containers), but also by the material of the storage boxes (plastic battery containers or metal battery containers). If the containers are to be used not only for storage but also for transport of Li-Ion batteries, further points must be considered, e.g. for which packaging group the containers are approved (Packaging Group I or Packaging Group II).
Especially popular for storing Li-Ion batteries are the boxes of the Lio Guard container series. The different versions of the battery boxes have become favorites for many companies when it comes to transporting intact or defective/damaged lithium-ion batteries with the highest safety and in accordance with regulations.
The selection of Genius Lio Guard storage containers is particularly large, so there is a suitable battery box for every need and for everyone. From the small XS box to the M-, Storage or XXL boxes, the manufacturer Genius provides an optimally tailored storage solution for Li-Ion batteries for every budget and application.
For lithium-ion batteries, ZARGES has developed the K470 Battery Safe as a storage container. In this battery box, up to three lithium batteries / lithium-ion cells can be transported or stored according to UN3480 regulations.
In addition to storing and transporting intact lithium batteries, the K470 Battery Safe from Zarges is particularly suitable for damaged battery cells, which pose a significant hazard during transport as well as storage. This approval makes this container significantly more flexible compared to similar models.
PRIORIT AG from Hanau has stood for innovative, structural fire protection solutions for 20 years and has now brought storage containers for batteries onto the market with Priopack and Priosmart that can be used for many purposes. Price-competitive, the storage containers are aimed not only at commercial customers but also at private users. Especially the Priosmart charging box for smartphones represents a very specific solution to store the smartphone in a safe environment during charging.
Particularly important in safe battery storage is comprehensive protection when defects occur inside the battery cells and consequently thermal reactions up to the fire. Therefore, for many applications, whether private or commercial, adequate fire protection in battery storage is an important criterion. To obtain fire protection, there are potentially two options: Either use fireproof materials directly for the fireproof battery storage boxes, or use additional inserts in the containers that ensure fire protection. Some fireproof battery boxes also rely on a combination of both, i.e., in addition to the non-combustible materials of the containers, fire-retardant inserts (such as PyroBubbles® or Vermiculite® in the form of cushions or bulk) are used.
Colloquially, battery storage containers are often called fireproof, but correctly one should rather speak of fire-resistant. Through the different measures, the resistance to high temperatures that can occur in a battery fire is improved. Very few boxes are truly fireproof battery storage containers that withstand a fire without damage and indefinitely.
A large part of the battery containers shown here themselves are not fireproof, especially the plastic models do not withstand a fire. The right fire protection for storing Li-Ion batteries is achieved by using specially developed extinguishing granulates inside the boxes as filling material. PyroBubbles® from Genius, one of the best-known extinguishing agents for Li-Ion batteries, is used, for example, in the Lio-Guard boxes. Either directly as granulate or in the form of filling cushions, the battery storage containers are filled with PyroBubbles® and the lithium battery to be stored is embedded inside. These battery storage containers, which are delivered directly with Genius PyroBubbles®, are often referred to as PyroBubbles boxes. Alternative extinguishing granulates / filling materials are available from other manufacturers and are known under the names Extover®, Vermiculite®, etc.
This use of filling materials / extinguishing granulates inside the containers has two advantages: On one hand, the filling ensures that the batteries are optimally embedded and thus protected from mechanical impacts that can cause a lithium battery to become a hazard. On the other hand, the filling materials ensure that the box becomes fireproof or that a possible battery fire is directly fought at the scene and cannot spread. For example, a burning e-bike battery would be extinguished if stored in a storage container filled with extinguishing granulate.
In addition to using special filling materials that also serve as extinguishing agents for battery fires, some manufacturers employ further measures to increase the fire resistance of storage containers and thus come closer to the goal of fireproof battery boxes. For example, plastic containers are reinforced with fire-resistant panels so that even in the event of a fire, stability can be maintained for a long period. The PRIORIT manufacturer is a notable example that successfully implements this concept in the Priopack battery box.
Since the use of lithium-ion batteries and lithium batteries in today's world is essentially inseparable from many areas of professional or private life, there are also corresponding boxes and storage options for the different battery types to safely store Li-Ion batteries when not in use. In recent years, e-bikes and pedelecs have grown particularly strongly, equipped with ever more powerful batteries, which means owners need suitable and mainly safe containers or bags for the bikes.
The share of e-bikes and pedelecs in the bicycles sold is increasing, and what used to be reserved for older generations is now known to have no age limit. Even mountain bikes, road bikes, and many more are increasingly available in battery-powered versions. What many e-bike and pedelec owners often forget: With the e-bike battery you do not only get built-in tailwind, but a powerful pack with high energy density, which reacts sensitively to storage errors or careless handling. Not a few e-bike batteries have already caused fires, and extinguishing battery fires is often problematic. Therefore, e-bike batteries should be stored safely to minimize the dangers of a lithium battery from the outset.
When looking for a safe storage option for the e-bike or pedelec battery, two criteria are particularly decisive: On the one hand, the battery must fit into the container, so one must keep the dimensions in mind when buying a battery box. Equally important is the capacity of the battery. To be protected from a fire or other problems, the energy intake of the battery is of great importance, because the more powerful a Li-Ion battery is, the greater the potential dangers.
Depending on the type of battery to be stored and also the number of e-bikes whose lithium batteries are to be stored, different boxes and cases are suitable, some of which are fireproof. The Zarges K470 Battery Safe is an established classic in this area, but other manufacturers also offer suitable storage boxes, such as Genius with the Lio-Guard boxes or Priorit with the Priopack battery storage container.
With the wide range of boxes for e-bike batteries, one must differentiate between boxes that are not fireproof on their own (for example, plastic boxes from Genius, Priorit or B&W). In combination with extinguishing granulates, such as PyroBubbles, they still offer effective fire protection for e-bike batteries. Other boxes, particularly the Zarges K470 Battery Safe, are already fireproof themselves as metal boxes. Corresponding extinguishing granulates for batteries are also supplied here, which are suitable to extinguish a burning e-bike battery.
