The largest changes in shipping directive are with lithium batteries, and with good reasons. Li-ion is the fastest growing battery chemistry and already in 2009, 3.3 billion Li-ion were transported by air. Safety is an ongoing concern, and an airline-pilot association asked the FAA to ban lithium batteries on passenger aircraft. This came into effect in 2016 and lithium batteries are now shipped in cargo airplanes only.
Lithium batteries can only be transported after passing UN 38.3 testing requirements. In spite of these precautions, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recorded 138 airport and air incidents between 1991 and 2016 involving lithium batteries. They involved smoke, heat and fire related to battery-operated devices such as e-cigarettes, laptops and mobile phones. Some incidents occurred before takeoff and the batteries were removed from the aircraft. Battery fires in flight were extinguished with halon type fire extinguishers and water, by placing the damaged device in a thermal battery containment bag that some airlines carry. Failing batteries in the cargo hold that were inadvertently checked into luggage required emergency landings.
Not all incidents are reported to the FAA, but the number of reported incidents is up from 2015. Recorded failures in 2016 alone involved 13 e-cigarettes, four laptops, seven mobile phones/tablets and seven spare batteries. E-cigarette incidents increased notably, while mobile phone and laptop events remain moderate considering the number of such devices in use.
Since 2008, lithium batteries can no longer be placed in checked baggage; they must be carried onboard. Air travelers are reminded of how many batteries they can carry with a portable device and as spares. Quick access to a fire extinguisher enables putting out a fire in the cabin should one take off. A coffee pot served as the fire extinguishing device for a flaming laptop battery in one reported incident. This is not possible with a burning battery in the cargo hold.
Transported lithium-based batteries are divided into two types: The rechargeable lithium-ion is primarily found in mobile phones and laptops; the non-rechargeable lithium-metal with added restrictions because of its high lithium content is used in sensing devices as well as in some consumer grade AA, AAA and 9V formats. Airlines allow both types as carry-on, either installed in devices or carried as spare packs as long as they don’t exceed the following limitation of lithium or equivalent content:
l2 grams per battery for non-rechargeable lithium batteries, also known as lithium-metal.
l8 grams per battery for a rechargeable lithium-ion. This amounts to a 100Wh battery.
l25 grams total per passenger for all Li-ion combined, amounting to 300Wh.
The lithium content of a lithium-metal battery is printed on the label. Li-ion, on the other hand, uses equivalent lithium content (ELC) that is calculated by multiplying the rated capacity (Ah) times 0.3. For example, a 1Ah cell has 0.3 grams of lithium. A modern 18650 cell with a capacity of 3.3Ah contains about 1 gram. The 8-gram limit permits a 26Ah battery, or 95Wh (Ah multiplied by the Li-ion cell voltage of 3.6V equals Wh). The 18650 is a standardized Li-ion cell of 18mm in diameter and 65mm in length, and is used in laptops, power tools and other devices. Most laptop batteries are in the 60Wh range.
While regulations limit the Li-ion battery to no larger than 100Wh, each passenger is allowed to carry two spare packs of 160Wh each, not exceeding 320Wh in total. The airlines recommend placing each battery in a clear plastic bag to prevent electric short. Batteries that are contained (non-removable) within a device and are not easily removable are exempt from the rules. These include electric watches, smartphones and laptops but not power tools with interchangeable battery packs.
All lithium batteries are considered to be dangerous goods and transporting them requires compliance with Class 9 directives. However, exemptions are made when shipping these batteries in small quantities. Personnel transporting lithium batteries commercially must be trained. Organizations such as iHazmat or the International Compliance Center (ICC) educates shippers and packers in the handling of dangerous goods consistent with to International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements and issues a certificate of compliance to those participants who pass a written examination. Those not familiar with these restrictions often ask some of the following questions:
Q:Must consumer-type lithium-ion batteries always be shipped under Class 9?
A:No. Most Li-ion in consumer products are less than 100Wh and an exemption is made here but CAUTION labeling is required.
Q:What quantities can I ship outside of Class 9?
A:Cells with a maximum rating of 20Wh and not exceeding 8 in quantity, or 2 batteries with a maximum rating of 100Wh each as part of Section II. (See BU-704a: Shipping Lithium-based Batteries by Air)
Q:When does Class 9 apply?
A:Lithium-based batteries classified under Section IA and IB.
Q:Must lithium-ion batteries be tested for shipment?
A:Yes, all Li-ion must be tested according to UN 38.3. Exceptions are made for prototypes and testing purposes. Refer to CFR 49 173.185 (e) for requirements regarding the shipment of cells or batteries that have not been tested to the requirements to UN 38.