RCA solid state batteries, by Elecjet are the first to market, these batteries offer a safer product than traditional lithium-ion technology.
Another Day Another Disaster
Lithium-ion fires are becoming a regular occurrence, this time the inferno is in the 20th story of a high-rise in New York. Smoke is billowing out of the window, a terrified woman is hanging for dear life outside. Of course, this is not the first time a disaster like this has materialized, and it will not be the last. Lithium-ion fires have been the cause of over 200 calls this year in New York alone.
In our modern world, everything is tested to ensure safety first, yet, events like this seem so commonplace. Firefighters know the dangers these fires pose all too well, some labeling the dangers they pose as “unbelievably dangerous situations.” 38 people were injured in this recent event, 5 firefighters were among the injured.
Solid-State Future
We have identified the problem of these lithium batteries, fortunately, it looks like a solution has arrived, Solid-State Batteries. SSB’s are currently in production from, ALPP, Alpine 4 Holdings. These graphene batteries offer a lot of promise in helping solve what has increasingly become a ticking time-bomb situation involving lithium-ion hazards.
Testing of these new SSBs has surpassed expectations, and surpassing all previous companies offerings. The new “Powerable” line of batteries was shot, folded, and ultimately set on fire for testing purposes.
Even when burning, the fire was not remotely comparable to the extreme dangers posed by lithium-ion fires. The battery was still in tact and able to charge after being shot and folded!
It is imperative that we embrace this new technology. The batteries will be made in the U.S.A., and manufactured by the legacy company, RCA Commercial. The lineup will be manufactured in conjunction with Elecjet. Both of these companies are subsidiaries of Alpine 4 Holdings Inc., a publicly traded company trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol, ALPP.
This solid-state breakthrough could be the safe power we need to enter the next era of battery powered devices.
(The rest of this paper article will be a compilation of the dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries. It’s up to you to decide if it’s time for a change?)
Not Ordinary Fires
Hurricane Ian
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, and the disastrous flooding that followed along Florida’s West Coast, officials have been warning about the dangers the saltwater can pose to lithium-ion batteries. It’s not just vehicles that can be a major hazard, any item containing this type of battery has the potential to combust.
It’s so bad that if you have an item that has come in contact with saltwater, the official advice is to keep that item at least 50ft from anything else! These batteries can erupt weeks after contact with saltwater. Furthermore, “Electric Vehicle fires can burn for 24 hours.”
Electric School Bus Inferno
A bus caught on fire in Connecticut in July. The bus was continuously reigniting. A picture says 1,000 words. Connecticut decided to pull their electric fleet as a precaution following this very difficult and time consuming effort to control the blaze..
Current safety involves reliance on an advanced warning system. In the event of failure, an immense amount of water, equipment, and firefighters is necessary. Any number of the thermal runaway videos involving Ev’s proliferating across the internet have shown the intense heat and difficulty fighting these types of fires.
California
A recent California fire in September at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) “was also a reminder that battery blazes are becoming increasingly common and destructive.” The issue is so important, that residents who live near battery center storage areas should participate fire drills and have protocol for what to do should an out of control blaze erupt.
Luckily, some states like Virginia have decided to delay their battery storage projects in the interest of safety. Maybe it’s time for other entities to reconsider their lithium-ion plans.
Another disaster off the California coast in 2019 led to the deaths of 34 people. Gross negligence led to this outcome. The untrained crew had no safety protocols. Some people point to an overcharged li-ion battery as being the cause of the blaze?
Recycling Issues
“Zombie batteries“, AKA used lithium batteries, should not be put into the regular trash can. These items degrade in the landfill, and are literally ticking time bombs. 50% of fires at recycling centers are caused by lithium batteries. The damage costs over 150 Million Euros a year. At least 200 of these fires occur every year, actual numbers are probably closer to 600 per year, in the U.K alone. Even something as simple as trying to recycle these batteries, creates an unacceptable risk.
Old electronics are exploding in recycling centers at a frightening rate. A fire caused $7M in damage. 70 people were furloughed during the required repairs to the structure. 100 firefighters were needed to fight this disaster.
Battery manufacturers have pretty much left recyclers to deal with the problem. Insurance companies do not want to insure recycling plants anymore. Lithium-ion batteries could lead to the end of recycling as we know it.
South Korea
South Korea has seen vigorous debate concerning the safety of li-ion batteries. A data center was recently knocked offline by a fire and caused major disruption for companies relying on the battery powered grid. Consumers were left without the ability to conduct necessary transactions on one of the largest tech firms, Kakao Inc. Online deliveries, banking, and ride sharing all ground to a halt.
Debate was reignited about the wisdom of allowing one entity to have so much power, Maybe, other locals should follow suit and question the control big corporations have over our lives?
Shipping/ Container Ship Dangers
More fires are expected. The shipping industry has no concrete plan to deal with li-ion hazards. The shipping industry is fractured and has little unifying regulation. Little cooperation exists among shipping magnates to come together to enact a plan for industry-wide safety measures.
The only solution offered at this time, is to invest in better firefighting equipment.
8 Year Old Dies from Fire
An 8 year old girl died in New York from a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery, A 233% increase in fires has been reported, in just one year. This tragedy, and others like it do not need to be a regular occurrence. The child was taken into the middle of the street where firefighters tried to revive, but were unsuccessful. The neighbors were shocked to have witnessed this child lying in the street with their arms visibly burned.
A Problem That is Only Getting Bigger
Firefighters are concerned that the number of blazes will “increase considerably” in the foreseeable future. In Queensland, Australia,there has been 46 li-ion fires to date.
As consumers, we have to be concerned about the quality of batteries we use. Cheap batteries are flooding the market and pose great dangers. Even conditions such as summer heat can cause these batteries to erupt. Overcharging often is the cause of these fires. The fumes can also be fatal.
Conclusion
This article could really continue ad nauseam about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries. Fortunately, the dangers are becoming more apparent by the day. If anything good could come out of any of these tragedies, it might be a change.
Lithium-ion batteries are very useful and have provided us with many great things. However, there becomes a time when something has outlived its usefulness. Unless someone acts to make these hazards safer for the general public, these disasters will continue to proliferate at increasing scale and frequency.
More items are being powered by these batteries and welcomed into the home everyday, the problem should only get worse.
Embrace the Solid State Future
I propose that we jump forward into the new solid state future and embrace a battery that has proven safer. Solid state batteries are also better for the environment, in terms of rare mineral extraction and recycling capabilities.
The risks of thermal runaway caused by lithium-ion batteries, can hopefully become a relic of the past.
Solid state batteries are here, let’s embrace the change.
