By adding a fire-retardant additive to its electrolyte formula composition, Swiss Lithium-ion cells and energy storage solutions company Leclanché says it has lowered the risk of a thermal event in its battery cells by close to 80%. The company says this achievement has been validated by Intertek Germany, a third-party testing lab that conducted a series of industry-standard nail penetration tests on Leclanché’s 60Ah cell. Despite the test cells being punctured with the resulting internal short circuit, the cells exhibited a far lower risk of fire than the same cells without the flame retardant additives, the company says.
Leclanché battery cells are manufactured by the company in its production facility located in Willstätt, Germany. Electrodes are manufactured in a water-based process rather than by using organic solvents. Leclanché says electrodes produced with the water-based manufacturing steps show a high stability towards the flame retardant additives contained in the new electrolyte.
The company’s new non-flammable cells will be available for production beginning in the first quarter of 2023.
