Size distribution and elemental composition of vent particles from abused prismatic Ni-rich automotive lithium-ion batteries

Abstract The lithium-ion battery (LIB) jet is often accompanied by particulate matter (PM) (e.g. spark) during vent and combustion caused by thermal runaway. These hot PM could ignite the combustible vent gases, and the settleable matter may promote water and soil pollution. The aim of this study is to reveal the statistical size distribution and elemental composition of the settleable PM released by LIBs after thermal runaway. A fully charged commercial 50 Ah Li(Ni0.6Mn0.2Co0.2)O2 cell was triggered by heating in a sealed chamber. These PM were divided into 4 samples using sieves. The sizes were analyzed and the elements were detected. The results show that these PM account for 11.20% of the cell mass. Nearly 45% of particles by mass were found to have a size less than 0.85 mm, with the median size being approximately 198 um. The main elements are carbon, nickel, cobalt, etc. The content of metallic elements is approximately 40%. The emissions also contain potentially toxic elements, including aluminum, lithium, fluorine, etc. The element species in different samples are similar, but their contents differ. The size distribution provides a basis for the design of the particle filter pore, and elemental composition reveals the pollution of LIB emissions.