Lithium-ion batteries are generally reliable and don’t catch fire during normal use. That’s mainly because manufacturers test them thoroughly to meet strict safety standards. You’ll often see batteries marked as IEC 62133 certified. This article is a complete guide to the IEC 62133 standard, helping you understand how it keeps batteries safe.
This safety standard focuses solely on lithium-ion batteries. Batteries that meet these standards are significantly safer and command a higher market price. The reason is that the standard includes rigorous tests that batteries must pass. This article covers the IEC 62133 standard for lithium-ion batteries.
What is the IEC 62133 Standard?
IEC stands for “International Electrotechnical Commission.” This institute develops rules and safety guidelines to protect electronic devices and components.
IEC 62133 is a standard used to make lithium-ion batteries safe. It specifies a series of tests that ensure the batteries do not catch fire. Simply put, it prevents lithium-ion batteries from deteriorating, especially under harsh conditions. Furthermore, this standard applies only to sealed, portable batteries, not to larger ones.
Not only batteries, but this standard also checks the cells of the batteries individually. IEC 62133 does not check only one aspect of the batteries. Instead, it tests comprehensively, making sure that batteries offer excellent safety. A wide range of tests is conducted to ensure batteries comply with these standards.
The IEC 62133 standard has been in use for decades. In the past, it was broader, covering two types of batteries: lithium-ion and nickel-based ones. However, the IEC updated the standard, making it more specific to different battery chemistries. This division of the IEC 62133 standard created two new standards, which are as follows:
- IEC 62133-1 – This standard checks and tests only batteries with nickel systems, such as Ni-MH and Ni-Cd.
- IEC 62133-2 – This standard only tests lithium-ion batteries. It involves safety guidelines to improve lithium-ion battery safety.
Interestingly, people refer to the 62133 standard for lithium-ion batteries. It’s quite common, but when someone mentions 62133, they’re usually talking about IEC 62133-2. It’s a common misconception that IEC 62133-2 only covers the fire resistance aspect of batteries. That’s not true, as the standard actually addresses various parameters. Some of those include fire resistance, electrical shock resistance, temperature resistance, and more.
Scope of IEC 62133
As previously mentioned, IEC 62133 is particular in its scope. It does not check every battery irrespective of its size. Instead, it only checks portable lithium-ion batteries. Portability means that these batteries are used in compact devices. These include any smartphone, laptop, or any other electronic device.
These batteries are rechargeable and offer more charge cycles. This standard also checks the cells of the lithium-ion batteries. One battery can have one or more cells, depending on its capability and size. For example, the battery in your smartphone typically consists of a single cell. On the other hand, some larger laptop batteries consist of multiple cells.
Safety Tests Required Under IEC 62133
A battery that is to be certified under IEC 62133 must pass a series of tests. Each of these tests evaluates the battery against different criteria and parameters. Let’s discuss these tests required for IEC 62133 certifications:
1- Short-Circuit Test
Every lithium-ion battery has two electrodes for its operation. The current (electricity) is produced when lithium ions move between these electrodes. However, if these electrodes are connected, it can cause a short circuit. These short-circuit tests test how a lithium-ion battery reacts when this happens accidentally. This short circuit can also occur if the battery falls or if its internal components are damaged. A battery that withstands short circuits is considered high-quality and reliable.
2- Overcharge Test
Lithium-ion batteries come with excellent protection against issues like overheating and overcharging, right? They are charged using a dedicated charger that reduces current when the voltage reaches the set limit. However, users sometimes make the mistake of choosing a low-quality charger without protection.
This charger will keep charging the lithium-ion battery, leading to overcharging. If the battery is of low quality, it may explode from overcharging. This overcharge test checks the battery’s behavior under incorrect overcharging conditions. If the battery remains safe even with overcharging, its chances of complying with 62133 increase.
3- Forced Discharge Test
It is always safe to charge and discharge batteries to a specific limit. You should not over-discharge it as it can affect the health of the lithium-ion battery. However, manufacturers use the forced discharge test to see how the battery reacts when its stored energy is drained. If the battery malfunctions during forced discharge, it’s of low quality, and vice versa. During discharge testing, operators check how batteries withstand the stress.
4- Crush Test & Impact Test
In real-world use, batteries are subjected to varying levels of impact. If they are durable, they withstand those impacts and vice versa. Both the crush test and the impact test are essential requirements of IEC 62133. In a crush test, the cells of a lithium-ion battery are pressed between two plates under force.
If the cells are weaker, they would be crushed by the force of the plates, and vice versa. On the other hand, the impact test involves dropping the battery from a certain height. High-quality lithium-ion batteries withstand the impacts. Both tests are essential for compliance with IEC 62133.
5- Vibration Test
During transportation, batteries are subjected to various vibrations and shaking. In some cases, these vibrations can be more intense and continuous. Therefore, it is necessary to test lithium-ion battery cells using vibration testing to assess their quality. In this test, the battery is mounted on the vibration table of vibrating test machines. The table vibration exposes the battery to continuous shaking. If the battery is not sealed properly, it can start leaking when shaken. Operators check the battery for vibrations of both high and low intensity.
6- Thermal Abuse Test
Undoubtedly, lithium-ion batteries perform excellently even in high-temperature conditions. But what if the temperature they face gets too high? That’s where the issue can arise if the batteries are weak and do not withstand heat. So manufacturers check lithium-ion batteries in specialized temperature chambers.
During this test, the battery is exposed to high temperatures, and the operator checks its performance. Batteries that pass this testing are rated for use in cars and in direct sunlight. As a result of this testing, the lithium batteries can withstand minor thermal abuse. However, you should still avoid using them at very high temperatures. Operators also expose batteries to both very high and very low temperatures and check their behavior.
7- Low-Pressure Testing
Lithium-ion batteries can be used at both high and low pressures. This test simulates high altitude conditions by reducing the pressure. They are exposed to very low pressure, especially during air transportation. In this test, the battery is placed in low-pressure chambers and exposed to a gradually decreasing pressure. This helps operators understand how batteries behave under low pressure. This is particularly important when batteries are exported by airplane to other countries.
Benefits of the IEC 62133 Standard
Compliance with IEC 62133 is now widespread. The reason is that it offers many benefits for the manufacturer. Here is a list of some advantages:
1- Quality & Safety
The 62133 standards involve checking the lithium-ion battery from many aspects. This ensures the battery is very safe and won’t explode in real-world conditions. Lithium-ion batteries are compact devices, and even small leaks or heating can cause serious issues. Manufacturers test their batteries using various test equipment to ensure reliability. As a result, the device that uses these batteries performs best in the long run.
2- Global Acceptance
IEC 62133 is a worldwide standard for testing batteries. No matter where a battery is made, it is certified to IEC 62133 and considered high quality. Only the “IEC Certified” label helps the batteries gain international exposure. The export of batteries that comply with this standard is more common than might be expected. Global acceptance simply increases the profitability and acceptability of lithium-ion batteries worldwide.
3- Customer Satisfaction
Those days are long gone when customers had no idea about the different parameters of the batteries. They are more informed, and buying batteries is excellent for performance and safety. They prefer the batteries made with internal standards and choose one with the “IEC Certified” tag. Simply put, complying with this standard helps gain customers’ trust. Manufacturers also receive fewer complaints about such high-quality batteries, thereby ensuring customer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Let’s conclude: lithium-ion batteries are safer mainly because they undergo testing. The chances of their leaking, catching fire, or exploding are very low. Modern lithium-ion batteries comply with IEC 62133 for better performance in different conditions. In the past, manufacturers were less concerned with these standards.
This resulted in compromises on the quality of the batteries. However, competition in battery manufacturing has become more intense. This has led manufacturers to use various tests to ensure they offer better products than competitors. In this article, I have explained everything about IEC 62133 and its prominent benefits.