Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are finding more use as power sources in the mining industry. However, they are known to pose significant fire and explosion hazards. When a Li-ion battery is exposed to excessive operating conditions, its internal temperature may exceed a normal operating range, allowing the active component materials to decompose or react with each other, eventually leading to thermal runaway. A Li-ion battery contains certain oxidizing agents making suppression of a battery fire very challenging. A series of Li-ion battery fire suppression tests were conducted by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to evaluate the effectiveness of different fire suppression test systems including dry chemical, water spray/mist, and Class D extinguisher powder. The batteries tested are commercial nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs. The results indicated that dry chemical and Class D powder could extinguish the fire temporarily, but a reignition occurred. Water mist was able to extinguish the battery fire completely with continuous cooling of the battery to prevent the reignition. The suppression results for both NMC and LFP chemistries were also compared. These test results can be used to develop appropriate firefighting strategies for safe and effective suppression of battery fires in a mine.
