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Cooling them with lots of water generally. The challenge is that lithium ion battery fires supply their own oxygen (chemically released, which then combusts wit
by jillesvangurp 2y ago
Cooling them with lots of water generally. The challenge is that lithium ion battery fires supply their own oxygen (chemically released, which then combusts with the other gases). So starving them of oxygen doesn't work, generally.
- ChrisMarshallNY 2y agoUsed to have a chemistry teacher that would entertain the class, by dropping a chunk of lithium into a big bowl of water. Fun stuff. They don't make 'em like that, anymore. On-topic: This took out half the workforce. Maybe almost everyone that gets their hands dirty. Not sure that company will survive this.
- alias_neo 2y agoDevastating. Having read the article, it sounds like it wasn't a fire as much as a lithium-cell explosion, which would explain the damage and why people couldn't get to safety. off-topic: My chemistry teacher also plopped chunks of lithium into bowls of water for our edutainment.
- jeffbee 2y agoNot all lithium cell primary batteries contain oxygen.
- jillesvangurp 2y agodepends on the electrolyte of course, which is generally one of the more flammable bits.
- tremon 2y agoDoesn't water have the exact same problem in the context of electric charge? The water might get hydrolyzed, producing even more oxygen and giving you hydrogen gas as a bonus. "Lots of water" might be an understatement -- if you can't submerge the entire battery in water, don't even try it.