Dangerous vs. Safe batteries, Explosion and fire test!

Li-Pol (LiPo) batteries are widely used in nearly all Cell phones and other home electronics. Yet, they are unstable and dangerous. In our test, we compare LiPo with available LFP and LTO technologies.

You may not recognize the danger of sitting in your pocket, but consider the danger for projects involving batteries and prevent future issues. Designing a machine, device or tool that uses batteries? Choose wisely!

All tested batteries are based on lithium, however, the additional substances in LFP and LTO provide necessary stabilization and prevent dangerous behaviour.

We tested:
Overcharge
Li-Pol (0:24)
LTO (1:03)
LFP (1:28)

Short-Circuit
LTO (2:27)
LFP (3:02)

Puncture
LTO (3:54)
Li-Pol (4:28)
LFP (5:05)

External fire (ignition)
Li-Pol (6:17)
LTO (6:30)
LFP (6:56)

The safe LFP and LTO on our shop:

[GWLPowered]

We tested (timed links):

Overcharge
Li-Pol (0:24)
LTO (1:03)
LFP (1:28)

Short-Circuit
LTO (2:27)
LFP (3:02)

Puncture
LTO (3:54)
Li-Pol (4:28)
LFP (5:05)

External fire (ignition)
Li-Pol (6:17)
LTO (6:30)
LFP (6:56)

[rakshitjain]

conclusion : lipo batteries are a good substitute to firecrackers

[jestronixhanderson]

I knicked a lithium pouch with a box cutter in my bedroom :) I ran with it in my hand to the other end of the house to find the screen door locked! Grabbed the keys and unlocked the door, I threw the battery which was a massive smoke machine by then, before it hit the ground it burst into flames ! That was a close call ! Lesson learnt !

[km]

safety and energy density is always a engineering tradeoff. most of the more volatile chemistries are perfectly safe if treated right. but there is something to be said about using inherently safer chemistries for alot of applications.

[dirk]

I wish it would give the statistics such as the voltage and amperage when it was overcharging at the time.

[wascalywabbit]

So, regardless of battery and application (other than cars) it looks like it would be a good idea that the battery box should be something like a wood stove /oil drum stove with a chimney that vents to the outside for solar and wind battery banks just for precautionary safety... This video just made me redesign my bank in my head over a power wall

[cleversolarpower]

I recommend these videos to my readers who say lifepo4 is a bad chemistry. Great video!

[junaidgt]

Li-Pol Is like
“You have chosen death” 😡
☠️

[lukef.]

Interesting tests! What was the state of charge of the batteries?

Note that the probability of a thermal runaway significantly drops at a low state of charge. This is especially important when buying cells that have been transported by air. Those are usually shipped at 30% SoC.

[davidniquot]

Those are interesting cases .. but .. what was the overcharging current for each case .. cause it really depend on the charge current.

[ThatJay]

batteries be like:

LTO: i squirt
LiFePO4: i swell, i smoke
LiPo: i boom

[ifzq]

This was the best Lipos Batteries test I have seem 😃😃😃👏👏👏👏👏👏

[rickhunt]

I've been telling people for years about the dangers of making a battery bank with Lipo batteries and those people looked at me like I was crazy. While LIFePo4 batteries will combust also. The chances of having an unpleasant reaction inside a structure is greatly reduced especially with a battery management system that can monitor the temperature and the individual charge on each battery in an array. The cases that house the electrolyte for LIFePo4 batteries are pretty resilient against physical damage. They are unlikely to be damaged unless someone uses a tomahawk like in the video or uses a wrench and physically short circuits the cells through stupidity. Remember a fuse is your friend, always use one of the correct rating. A breaker may not be so friendly.

[ev-olution]

Spilling highly toxic waste next to crop fields... Breathing in highly toxic fumes... Best firefighters I seen so far...

[emersonsrandomvideos]

4:34 dude you've just released the demons imprisoned in that battery. You're now curse by that battery's evil spirit.

[omaralvarado]

This is why you need to use fuses and charging regulators for all types of batteries. This is a wonderful wonderful test.🤗🤗

[Aan]

Thanks for the video👍
Well I would have liked to see the voltage, current and Wh and the cell should have been at the same ah.  
As you see some people seam to be confused and believe that the "safe" cell has the same energy density.  
The first thing to understand wit battery is that there is a trade off no matter what you do.

[evgeniyivanov]

hi, very interesting what voltage was used for overcharge

[NRC]

And how exactly will I get my Quad up into the air with those "safe" batteries?

[justatiger]

This was very well done, informative and interesting to watch!