Therefore, the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP) battery, which has relatively few negative news, has been labeled as “absolutely safe” and has become the first choice for electric vehicles. However, in the past years, there have been frequent rumors of explosions in lithium iron phosphate batteries. Is it not much safe and why is it a fire?
Lithium iron phosphate batteries using LiFePO4 as the positive electrode are good in these performance requirements, especially in large rate discharge (5C to 10C discharge), discharge voltage stability, safety (no combustion, no explosion), and durability (Life cycles) and eco-friendly. LiFePO4 is used as the positive electrode of the battery.
In the rare event of catastrophic failure, the off-gas from lithium-ion battery thermal runaway is known to be flammable and toxic, making it a serious safety concern. But while off-gas generation has been widely investigated, until now there has been no comprehensive review on the topic.
In general, lithium iron phosphate batteries do not explode or ignite. LiFePO4 batteries are safer in normal use, but they are not absolute and can be dangerous in some extreme cases. It is related to the company's decisions of material selection, ratio, process and later uses.
In the past few years, electric vehicles using ternary lithium batteries have experienced fire and explosion many times. Therefore, the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4, LFP) battery, which has relatively few negative news, has been labeled as “absolutely safe” and has become the first choice for electric vehicles.
Researchers in the United Kingdom have analyzed lithium-ion battery thermal runaway off-gas and have found that nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries generate larger specific off-gas volumes, while lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are a greater flammability hazard and show greater toxicity, depending on relative state of charge (SOC).