Lithium ion batteries are a great advance in battery technology. They have several advantages over traditional aqueous batteries: they are lighter, more reliable, and don’t lose the ability to charge over time. However, they do come with some unique transportation issues. If lithium ion batteries become overheated or charged to an excessively high voltage, they could suffer thermal runaway or cell rupture. In extremely rare cases, there can be an explosion of the battery and the emission of noxious fumes. This is why it is absolutely imperative that you take utmost caution when it comes to lithium ion transportation.

Most lithium ion batteries come with certain internal safety measures already in place to prevent extreme circumstances. These features, such as shut-down separators, temperature protection, vents, and thermal interrupt, tend to increase the cost of this particular type of battery. With those safety measures in place, it’s still important to properly handle them and to practice sound lithium ion transportation. The consequences could be serious if you don’t abide by these practices, and the caution you must take is hardly an inconvenience.

The reason that lithium ion transportation protocols were written is because there were a few incidents in which highly unusual circumstances caused lithium ion batteries to explode. There have also been a few battery recalls, most memorably of laptop batteries, because of the possibility of contaminants inside the batteries that could compromise the standard safety measures.

Here are some of the most basic lithium ion transportation regulations. For carry-on, there is no limit as to how many batteries you can take as long as they are under 100Wh. For batteries over 100Wh, you can carry on-board 2 spare batteries and 1 primary cell embedded in your equipment. All spare batteries must be individually protected and completely enclosed. For check-in, only 1 battery attached to your equipment will be allowed. For air cargo, the quantity of batteries per package must not exceed 22 lbs. The number of boxes shipped is not limited, provided that each box does not weigh more than 22 lbs. For ground transportation, the maximum weight per box is 66 lbs and the number of boxes shipped is not limited. Any package shipped containing lithium ion batteries must have a lithium ion handling label.

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