Experimental evaluation of the safety performance of lithium-ion batteries based on abuse areas

Safety issues associated with lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) jeopardize their widespread adoption in both stationary applications and electric vehicles. One of the factors that can most affect the safety of a LIB is its chemistry. For this reason, this article aims to evaluate the safety of the two main current chemistries, LFP and NMC. In particular, the safety of both technologies is examined from the perspective of the areas of abuse that characterize their behavior beyond the safe operation area. A commercial 5 Ah pouch cell with LFP chemistry is subjected to various overtemperature and overcharge abuses at different conditions. The results obtained for LFP chemistry cell are discussed together with those for NMC cell from a previous work of the authors. Identification of the abuse areas allows for a comparative analysis of the safety of both chemistries, providing a valuable tool for classifying the abuse behavior of LIBs.