A Lithium Battery is the Cause of a House Fire

A lithium battery appears to be the cause of a fatal house fire north of Sydney last week. Two occupants of the townhouse at Teralba managed to escape, but two others died in the blaze.

FRNSW says people should dispose of batteries at an approved recycling centre and keep them away from combustible materials. It also urges residents to store them in a cool, dry place.

Solar Batteries

Solar batteries are power storage units that help to store the energy harnessed by your solar panels for use at night or on cloudy days. They work in conjunction with your solar panels to provide energy to your home, helping you to save on electricity bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

There are several different types of solar batteries, each with their own unique characteristics and benefits. When choosing a solar battery, it is important to consider factors such as charge and discharge rates, power density, and cycle life.

Nickel cadmium batteries, also known as NiCds, are an older technology and are characterized by their low maintenance and tolerance to extreme temperatures. However, they have a lower energy density and shorter cycle life than lithium batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are favoured for their compact size, high efficiency, and longer cycle life. They also have a better depth of discharge (DoD) and are more environmentally friendly than nickel-cadmium batteries.

Lithium Ion Batteries

The chemistry of lithium ion batteries allows them to store a huge amount of power. They are used to power almost everything from our mobile phones, to electric vehicles and even our green power grids. However, when these rechargeable batteries are overheated or compromised they can go into a process called thermal runaway. The resulting fire is deadly.

NSW Fire & Rescue Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell warns people to be very careful with lithium-battery-powered devices. He advises everyone to have clear emergency plans, never leave battery-powered devices on charge overnight, and not to place them near flammable materials. He also reminds people to recycle their old batteries. They can be dropped off at local Bunnings and Battery World stores, or at Lake Macquarie council facilities. Envirostream, Australia’s first onshore processor of lithium, nickel metal hydride and alkaline batteries, recovers 95% of the material in them for recycling. This can be used to produce new batteries, and the rest is recycled into steel, copper, aluminium and mixed metal dust.

Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable batteries are secondary cells that rely on a reversible cell reaction to store chemical potential energy for later use as electricity. They have many applications in personal electronic devices, electric vehicles and storage systems for renewable energy sources.

They consist of an anode and a cathode, separated by a chemical material such as electrolyte. The anode is where oxidation reactions (loss of electrons) take place, while the cathode is where reduction reactions (gain of electrons) happen.

Rechargeable batteries can be disposed of at approved recycling centres and household recycling bins across the country. It’s important to handle rechargeable batteries with care, as they can degrade over time and may have internal short circuits. It’s also crucial to keep them away from combustible materials and not to charge them more than their capacity allows. This can result in fires and explosions. For more information on how to dispose of rechargeable batteries in NSW visit the BatteryBack website.

Single-Use Batteries

Single-use batteries (also called primary battery) come in a variety of shapes and sizes and power everyday devices like flashlights, calculators, remote controls and smoke detectors. They can be made with zinc, manganese or lithium chemistry. While they can be used once and then discarded, these batteries are a fire risk in waste hauling trucks and recycling facilities and can contaminate ground water.

Ensure that these batteries do not end up in your household recycling bin or cart, and that they are not mixed with rechargeable or lithium-ion batteries. Place duct or electrical tape over the exposed ends/terminals of AA, AAA, C-cell and 9-Volt batteries to prevent sparks when they are drained.

Depending on the chemistry, single-use batteries can be brought to a specialized battery recycler or retailer that provides battery takeback programs, or to a local household hazardous waste collection program. Lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries are best managed by businesses with an active battery stewardship plan or by local governments that have established a waste diversion policy.

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