Lithium, with atomic number 3 and atomic weight 6.941, is the lightest alkali metal element. To improve safety and voltage, scientists have invented materials such as graphite and lithium cobalt oxide to store lithium atoms. The molecular structure of these materials forms nanoscale storage lattices that can store lithium atoms. This way, even if the battery casing breaks and oxygen enters, the oxygen molecules are too large to fit into these tiny storage lattices, preventing the lithium atoms from contacting oxygen and thus avoiding an explosion.
After gaining electrons, these lithium ions crystallize on the surface of the material, which, like overcharging, poses a danger. If the battery casing breaks, an explosion will occur. Therefore, the protection of lithium-ion batteries must include at least three elements: an upper limit for charging voltage, a lower limit for discharging voltage, and an upper limit for current. Generally, in addition to the lithium battery cells, there is a protection board in a lithium battery pack, which mainly provides these three protections. However, these three protections from the protection board are clearly insufficient, and lithium battery explosions continue to occur frequently worldwide. To ensure the safety of battery systems, a more thorough analysis of the causes of battery explosions is necessary.
