IEC 62281:2016

Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport

IEC 62281:2016 specifies test methods and requirements for primary and secondary (rechargeable) lithium cells and batteries to ensure their safety during transport other than for recycling or disposal. Requirements specified in this standard do not apply in those cases where special provisions given in the relevant regulations, listed in 7.3, provide exemptions.
NOTE - Different standards may apply for lithium-ion traction battery systems used for electrically propelled road vehicles.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition, published in 2012, and constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- Deletion of the wire mesh screen from the evaluation of test criteria for an explosion;
- Extension / modification of the shock test parameters so as to achieve constant energy behaviour for large batteries as well as explanations in a new Annex A;
- Modification of the external short-circuit method so as to allow the short-circuit to be applied to large batteries after they have been removed from the temperature chamber;
- Change of the cell diameter distinguishing between impact and crush test from 20 mm to 18 mm;
- Addition of possible content for a transport certificate.

Sécurité des piles et des accumulateurs au lithium pendant le transport

IEC 62281:2016 spécifie les méthodes d’essai et les exigences pour les éléments et les batteries de piles et d'accumulateurs au lithium afin de s'assurer de leur sécurité pendant les opérations de transport autres que celles relatives à leur recyclage ou leur mise au rebut. Les exigences spécifiées dans la présente norme ne s’appliquent pas aux cas pour lesquels des dispositions spéciales prévues dans les réglementations applicables, énumérées en 7.3, accordent des exemptions.
NOTE - Différentes normes peuvent s'appliquer aux systèmes de batteries de traction ion-lithium utilisés pour les véhicules routiers électriques.
Cette troisième édition annule et remplace la deuxième édition parue en 2012. Cette édition constitue une révision technique. Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l'édition précédente:
- Suppression des treillis métalliques dans l’évaluation des critères d’essai pour une explosion;
- Extension / modification des paramètres de l’essai de chocs, de façon à obtenir un comportement constant d’énergie pour les grandes batteries, ainsi que des explications dans la nouvelle Annexe A;
- Modification de la méthode de court-circuit externe, de façon à pouvoir appliquer le court-circuit à de grandes batteries après leur retrait de la chambre thermique;
- Diminution du diamètre d’élément de 20 mm à 18 mm, en faisant la distinction entre l’essai d’impact et l’essai d’écrasement;
- Ajout de contenu possible de certificat de transport.
Mots clés : méthodes d’essai et les exigences pour les éléments et les batteries de piles et d'accumulateurs au lithium, Certificat de transport

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 05-Dec-2016
• ICS: 29.220.10 - Primary cells and batteries
• Technical Committee: TC 35 - Primary cells and batteries
• Drafting Committee: JMT 18 - TC 35/JMT 18
• Current Stage: DELPUB - Deleted Publication
• Start Date: 17-Nov-2017
• Completion Date: 10-Apr-2019

Relations

• Revises: IEC 62281:2012 - Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Revised: IEC 62281:2019 - Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 62281 ®
Edition 3.0 2016-12
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from

either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or

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Switzerland www.iec.ch
About the IEC
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International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

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IEC 62281 ®
Edition 3.0 2016-12
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 29.220.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-3707-6

– 2 – IEC 62281:2016 RLV © IEC 2016

CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4

INTRODUCTION . 2

1 Scope . 7

2 Normative references . 7

3 Terms and definitions . 7

4 Requirements for safety . 11

4.1 General considerations . 11
4.2 Quality plan . 11
4.3 Packaging . 11
5 Type testing, sampling and re-testing . 11
5.1 Type testing . 11
5.2 Overcharge protection . 12
5.2.1 Secondary batteries for use in battery assemblies .
5.3 Battery assemblies. 12
5.3.1 General . 12
5.3.2 Small battery assemblies . 12
5.3.3 Large battery assemblies . 12
5.4 Sampling. 12
5.5 Re-testing . 14
6 Test methods and requirements . 14
6.1 General . 14
6.1.1 Safety Cautionary notice . 14
6.1.2 Ambient temperature . 14
6.1.3 Parameter measurement tolerances . 14
6.1.4 Pre-discharge and pre-cycling . 14
6.2 Evaluation of test criteria . 15
6.2.1 Shifting . 15
6.2.2 Distortion . 15
6.2.3 Short-circuit . 15
6.2.4 Excessive temperature rise . 15
6.2.5 Leakage . 15
6.2.6 Venting . 15

6.2.7 Fire . 16
6.2.8 Rupture . 16
6.2.9 Explosion . 16
6.3 Tests and requirements – Overview . 16
6.4 Transport tests . 17
6.4.1 Test T-1: Altitude . 17
6.4.2 Test T-2: Thermal cycling . 17
6.4.3 Test T-3: Vibration . 17
6.4.4 Test T-4: Shock . 18
6.4.5 Test T-5: External short-circuit . 19
6.4.6 Test T-6: Impact/crush . 20
6.5 Misuse tests . 21
6.5.1 Test T-7: Overcharge . 21
6.5.2 Test T-8: Forced discharge . 21

6.6 Packaging test – Test P-1: Drop test . 22

6.7 Information to be given in the relevant specification . 22

6.8 Evaluation and Test report . 23

6.9 Transport certificate . 23

7 Information for safety . 23

7.1 Packaging . 23

7.2 Handling of battery cartons . 23

7.3 Transport . 23

7.3.1 General . 23

7.3.2 Air transport. 24
7.3.3 Sea transport . 24
7.3.4 Land transport . 24
7.3.5 Classification . 24
7.4 Display and storage . 24
8 Instructions for packaging and handling during transport – Quarantine . 24
9 Marking . 25
9.1 Marking of primary and secondary (rechargeable) cells and batteries . 25
9.2 Marking of the packaging and shipping documents . 25
Annex A (informative) Shock test – adjustment of acceleration for large batteries . 27
A.1 General . 27
A.2 Shock energy depends on mass, acceleration, and pulse duration . 27
A.3 The constant acceleration approach . 28
A.4 The constant energy approach . 28
Bibliography . 30

Figure 1 – Example of a test set-up for the impact test. 20
Figure 2 – Example for the marking of packages with primary or secondary
(rechargeable) lithium cells or batteries .
Figure A.1 – Half sine shock for batteries (constant peak acceleration) . 28
Figure A.2 – Half sine shock for batteries (constant energy) . 29

Table 1 – Number of primary test cells and batteries for type testing . 13
Table 2 – Number of secondary test cells and batteries for type testing . 13
Table 3 – Number of packages with primary or secondary test cells and batteries. 14
Table 4 – Mass loss limits . 15
Table 5 – Transport and packaging tests and requirements . 16
Table 6 – Vibration profile (sinusoidal) . 18
Table 7 – Shock parameters . 19

– 4 – IEC 62281:2016 RLV © IEC 2016

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________
SAFETY OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY LITHIUM CELLS

AND BATTERIES DURING TRANSPORT

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising

all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
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...

IEC 62281 ®
Edition 3.0 2016-12
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport

Sécurité des piles et des accumulateurs au lithium pendant le transport

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from

either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or

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About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigenda or an amendment might have been published.

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iPad. Vocabulary (IEV) online.

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variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical French extracted from the Terms and Definitions clause of
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and withdrawn publications. collected from earlier publications of IEC TC 37, 77, 86 and

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IEC 62281 ®
Edition 3.0 2016-12
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Safety of primary and secondary lithium cells and batteries during transport

Sécurité des piles et des accumulateurs au lithium pendant le transport

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 29.220.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-3773-1

– 2 – IEC 62281:2016 © IEC 2016

CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4

INTRODUCTION . 6

1 Scope . 7

2 Normative references . 7

3 Terms and definitions . 7

4 Requirements for safety . 10

4.1 General considerations . 10
4.2 Quality plan . 11
4.3 Packaging . 11
5 Type testing, sampling and re-testing . 11
5.1 Type testing . 11
5.2 Overcharge protection . 12
5.3 Battery assemblies. 12
5.3.1 General . 12
5.3.2 Small battery assemblies . 12
5.3.3 Large battery assemblies . 12
5.4 Sampling. 12
5.5 Re-testing . 13
6 Test methods and requirements . 13
6.1 General . 13
6.1.1 Cautionary notice. 13
6.1.2 Ambient temperature . 14
6.1.3 Parameter measurement tolerances . 14
6.1.4 Pre-discharge and pre-cycling . 14
6.2 Evaluation of test criteria . 14
6.2.1 Shifting . 14
6.2.2 Distortion . 14
6.2.3 Short-circuit . 14
6.2.4 Excessive temperature rise . 14
6.2.5 Leakage . 14
6.2.6 Venting . 15
6.2.7 Fire . 15

6.2.8 Rupture . 15
6.2.9 Explosion . 15
6.3 Tests and requirements – Overview . 15
6.4 Transport tests . 16
6.4.1 Test T-1: Altitude . 16
6.4.2 Test T-2: Thermal cycling . 16
6.4.3 Test T-3: Vibration . 17
6.4.4 Test T-4: Shock . 17
6.4.5 Test T-5: External short-circuit . 18
6.4.6 Test T-6: Impact/crush . 19
6.5 Misuse tests . 21
6.5.1 Test T-7: Overcharge . 21
6.5.2 Test T-8: Forced discharge . 21
6.6 Packaging test – Test P-1: Drop test . 21

6.7 Information to be given in the relevant specification . 22

6.8 Test report . 22

6.9 Transport certificate . 23

7 Information for safety . 23

7.1 Packaging . 23

7.2 Handling of battery cartons . 23

7.3 Transport . 23

7.3.1 General . 23

7.3.2 Air transport. 23

7.3.3 Sea transport . 23
7.3.4 Land transport . 23
7.3.5 Classification . 23
7.4 Display and storage . 24
8 Instructions for packaging and handling during transport – Quarantine . 24
9 Marking . 24
9.1 Marking of primary and secondary (rechargeable) cells and batteries . 24
9.2 Marking of the packaging and shipping documents . 24
Annex A (informative) Shock test – adjustment of acceleration for large batteries . 25
A.1 General . 25
A.2 Shock energy depends on mass, acceleration, and pulse duration . 25
A.3 The constant acceleration approach .
...