IEC 60086-4:2014

Primary batteries - Part 4: Safety of lithium batteries

IEC 60086-4:2014 specifies tests and requirements for primary lithium batteries to ensure their safe operation under intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse. This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2007. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- Harmonisation with the second edition of IEC 62281;
- Alternative protective circuits in 7.1.1;
- More information regarding risks of swallowing lithium batteries in (former) 7.2.m) and promotion of this item to 7.2a);
- A new Annex D with pictograms for some of the safety precautions in 7.2. Keywords: lithium batteries

Piles électriques - Partie 4: Sécurité des piles au lithium

L'IEC 60086-4:2014 spécifie les essais et les exigences pour les piles électriques au lithium afin d'assurer leur fonctionnement en toute sécurité dans les conditions d'utilisation prévue et en cas de mauvais usage raisonnablement prévisible. Cette quatrième édition annule et remplace la troisième édition parue en 2007. Cette édition constitue une révision technique. Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l'édition précédente:
- Harmonisation avec la deuxième édition de l'IEC 62281;
- Circuits de protection en variante en 7.1.1;
- Plus d'informations relatives aux risques d'ingestion des piles au lithium en (précédemment) 7.2m) et avancement en priorité de cet élément à 7.2a);
- Nouvelle Annexe D avec pictogrammes pour certaines des précautions de sécurité en 7.2. Mots clés: piles électriques au lithium

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 02-Sep-2014
• ICS: 29.220.10 - Primary cells and batteries
• Technical Committee: TC 35 - Primary cells and batteries
• Drafting Committee: MT 15 - TC 35/MT 15
• Current Stage: DELPUB - Deleted Publication
• Completion Date: 25-Apr-2019

Relations

• Revised: IEC 60086-4:2019 - Primary batteries - Part 4: Safety of lithium batteries
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 60086-4


®


Edition 4.0 2014-09



INTERNATIONAL



STANDARD



NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside


Primary batteries –
Part 4: Safety of lithium batteries

Piles électriques –
Partie 4: Sécurité des piles au lithium


IEC 60086-4:2014-09(en-fr)

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IEC 60086-4



®



Edition 4.0 2014-09







INTERNATIONAL





STANDARD







NORME



INTERNATIONALE
colour

inside










Primary batteries –

Part 4: Safety of lithium batteries




Piles électriques –

Partie 4: Sécurité des piles au lithium

















INTERNATIONAL

ELECTROTECHNICAL

COMMISSION


COMMISSION

ELECTROTECHNIQUE

PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE

CODE PRIX W


ICS 29.220.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-1829-7



Warning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.

Attention! Veuillez vous assurer que vous avez obtenu cette publication via un distributeur agréé.

® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical Commission
Marque déposée de la Commission Electrotechnique Internationale

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– 2 – IEC 60086-4:2014 © IEC 2014


CONTENTS



FOREWORD . 5

INTRODUCTION . 7

1 Scope . 8


2 Normative references . 8

3 Terms and definitions . 8

4 Requirements for safety . 11


4.1 Design . 11
4.2 Quality plan . 11
5 Sampling . 11
5.1 General . 11
5.2 Test samples . 11
6 Testing and requirements . 12
6.1 General . 12
6.1.1 Test application matrix . 12
6.1.2 Safety notice . 13
6.1.3 Ambient temperature . 13
6.1.4 Parameter measurement tolerances . 13
6.1.5 Predischarge . 14
6.1.6 Additional cells . 14
6.2 Evaluation of test criteria . 14
6.2.1 Short-circuit . 14
6.2.2 Excessive temperature rise . 14
6.2.3 Leakage . 14
6.2.4 Venting . 14
6.2.5 Fire . 14
6.2.6 Rupture . 15
6.2.7 Explosion . 15
6.3 Tests and requirements – Overview . 15
6.4 Tests for intended use . 16
6.4.1 Test A: Altitude . 16
6.4.2 Test B: Thermal cycling . 16
6.4.3 Test C: Vibration . 17

6.4.4 Test D: Shock . 18
6.5 Tests for reasonably foreseeable misuse . 19
6.5.1 Test E: External short-circuit . 19
6.5.2 Test F: Impact . 19
6.5.3 Test G: Crush . 20
6.5.4 Test H: Forced discharge. 21
6.5.5 Test I: Abnormal charging . 21
6.5.6 Test J: Free fall . 21
6.5.7 Test K: Thermal abuse . 22
6.5.8 Test L: Incorrect installation . 22
6.5.9 Test M: Overdischarge . 23
6.6 Information to be given in the relevant specification . 24
6.7 Evaluation and report . 24
7 Information for safety . 24

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IEC 60086-4:2014 © IEC 2014 – 3 –


7.1 Safety precautions during design of equipment . 24

7.1.1 General . 24

7.1.2 Charge protection . 25

7.1.3 Parallel connection . 25

7.2 Safety precautions during handling of batteries . 25

7.3 Packaging . 27

7.4 Handling of battery cartons . 27

7.5 Transport . 28

7.5.1 General . 28

7.5.2 Air transport . 28

7.5.3 Sea transport . 28
7.5.4 Land transport . 28
7.6 Display and storage . 28
7.7 Disposal . 28
8 Instructions for use . 29
9 Marking . 29
9.1 General . 29
9.2 Small batteries . 30
9.3 Safety pictograms . 30
Annex A (informative) Guidelines for the achievement of safety of lithium batteries . 31
Annex B (informative) Guidelines for designers of equipment using lithium batteries . 32
Annex C (informative) Additional information on display and storage . 35
Annex D (informative) Safety pictograms . 36
D.1 General . 36
D.2 Pictograms . 36
D.3 Instruction for use . 37
Bibliography . 38

Figure 1 – Mesh screen . 15
Figure 2 – Thermal cycling procedure . 17
Figure 3 – Example of a test set-up for the impact test . 19
Figure 4 – Examples of a test set-up for the crush test . 20
Figure 5 – Axes for free fall . 22

Figure 6 – Circuit diagram for incorrect installation . 22
Figure 7 – Circuit diagram for overdischarge . 23
Figure 8 – Examples of safety wiring for charge protection . 25
Figure 9 – Ingestion gauge . 26
Figure 10 – Example for warning against swallowing, particularly lithium coin cell
batteries . 26
Figure A.1 – Battery design guidelines . 31

Table 1 – Number of test samples . 12
Table 2 – Test application matrix . 13
Table 3 – Mass loss limits . 14
Table 4 – Tests and requirements . 16
Table 5 – Vibration profile (sinusoidal) . 18

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– 4 – IEC 60086-4:2014 © IEC 2014


Table 6 – Shock parameters . 18

Table 7 – Resistive load for overdischarge . 23


Table 8 – Parameters to be specified . 24

Table B.1 – Equipment design guidelines (1 of 3) . 32

Table D.1 – Safety pictograms (1 of 2) . 36

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IEC 60086-4:2014 © IEC 2014 – 5 –



INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________




PRIMARY BATTERIES –



Part 4: Safety of lithium batteries



FOREWORD

1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

International Standard IEC 60086-4 has been prepared by technical committee 35: Primary
cells and batteries.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2007. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
1
a) Harmonisation with the second edition of IEC 62281 [12] ;
b) Alternative protective circuits in 7.1.1;
———————
1
 Numbers in square brackets refer to the Bibliography.

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– 6 – IEC 60086-4:2014 © IEC 2014


c) More information regarding risks of swallowing lithium batteries in (former) 7.2.m) and

promotion of this item to 7.2a);

d) A new Annex D with pictograms for some of the safety precautions in 7.2.


The text of this standard is based on the following documents:


FDIS Report on voting

35/1324/FDIS 35/1332/RVD




Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on

voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
NOTE The following print types are used:
– requirements: in roman type;
– instructions/warnings for consumers: in italic type.
A list of all parts in the IEC 60086 series, under the general title Primary batteries, can be
found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.

IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.

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IEC 60086-4:2014 © IEC 2014 – 7 –


INTRODUCTION


The concept of safety is closely related to safeguarding the integrity of people and property.

This standard specifies tests and requirements for lithium batteries and has been prepared in

accordance with ISO/IEC guidelines, taking into account all relevant national and international

standards which apply.


Lithium batteries are different from conventional primary batteries using aqueous electrolyte

in that they contain flammable materials.


Consequently, it is important to carefully consider safety during design, production,

distribution, use, and disposal of lithium batteries. Based on such special characteristics,
lithium batteries for consumer applications were initially small in size and had low power
output. There were also lithium batteries with high power output which were used for special
industrial and military applications and were characterized as being “technician replaceable”.
The first edition of this standard was drafted to accommodate this situation.
However, from around the end of the 1980s, lithium batteries with high power output started to
be widely used in the consumer replacement market, mainly as a power source in camera
applications. Since the demand for such lithium batteries with high power output significantly
increased, various manufacturers started to produce these types of lithium batteries. As a
consequence of this situation, the safety aspects for lithium batteries with high power output
were included in the second edition of this standard.
Primary lithium batteries both for consumer and industrial applications are well-established
safe and reliable products in the market, which is at least partly due to the existence of safety
standards such as this standard and, for transport, IEC 62281. The fourth edition of this
standard therefore reflects only minor changes which became necessary in order to keep it
harmonized with IEC 62281 and to continuously improve the user information about safety
related matters.
Guidelines addressing safety issues during the design of lithium batteries are provided in
Annex A. Annex B provides guidelines addressing safety issues during the design of
equipment where lithium batteries are installed. Both Annex A and B reflect experience with
lithium batteries used in camera applications and are based on [20].
Safety is freedom from unacceptable risk. There can be no absolute safety: some risk will
remain. Therefore a product, process or service can only be relatively safe. Safety is achieved
by reducing risk to a tolerable level determined by the search for an optimal balance between
the ideal of absolute safety and the demands to be met by a product, process or service, and
factors such as benefit to the user, suitability for purpose, cost effectiveness, and conventions
of the society concerned.

As safety will pose different problems, it is impossible to provide a set of precise provisions
and recommendations that will apply in every case. However, this standard, when followed on
a judicious “use when applicable” basis, will provide reasonably consistent standards for
safety.

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PRIMARY BATTERIES –



Part 4: Safety of lithium batteries








1 Scope


This Part of IEC 60086 specifies tests and requirements for primary lithium batteries to ensure

their safe operation under intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.
NOTE Primary lithium batteries that are standardized in IEC 60086-2 are expected to meet all applicable
requirements herein. It is understood that consideration of this part of IEC 60086 might also be given to measuring
and/or ensuring the safety of non-standardized primary lithium batteries. In either case, no claim or warranty is
made that compliance or non-compliance with this standard will fulfil or not fulfil any of the user’s particular
purposes or needs.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60086-1:2011, Primary batteries – Part 1: General
IEC 60086-2, Primary batteries – Part 2: Physical and electrical specifications
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
NOTE Certain definitions taken from IEC 60050-482, IEC 60086-1, and IEC Guide 51 are repeated below for
convenience.
3.1
battery
one or more cells electrically connected and fitted in a case, with terminals, markings and
protective devices etc., as necessary for use

[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-01-04, modified ("fitted with devices necessary for use,
for example case" replaced by "electrically connected and fitted in a case", addition of "etc.,
as necessary for use")]
3.2
coin cell
coin battery
small round cell or battery where the overall height is less than the diameter
Note 1 to entry: In English, the term “coin (cell or battery)” is used for lithium batteries only while the term “button
(cell or battery)” is only used for non-lithium batteries. In languages other than English, the terms “coin” and
“button” are often used interchangeably, regardless of the electrochemical system.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-02-40, modified (term “button” deleted, NOTE “In
practice terms, the term coin is used exclusively for non-aqueous lithium cells.” replaced with
a different note)
...