Safety Standards

The research and development of lithium battery technology is an important issue in today's global energy field.

International Battery Testing and Certifications

IEC62133

  • IEC 62133 is an international safety standard for rechargeable batteries containing alkaline or non-acid electrolytes. It specifies requirements and tests to ensure their safe operation. 

    IEC 62133-2:2017 specifically focuses on portable sealed lithium batteries with non-acid electrolytes, ensuring their safe use and handling under normal and foreseeable misuse conditions.

    IEC62133 Test Certificate.jpg

  • Test Items (for lithium-ion cells and batteries)

    Continuous charging at constant voltage(cells)

    Case stress at high ambient temperature(battery)

    External short-circuit(cells)

    External short-circuit(battery)

    Free fall

    Thermal abuse(cells)

    Crush(cells)

    Over-charging of battery

    Forced discharge(cells)

    Vibration

    Mechanical Shock

    Design evaluation - Forced internal short-circuit(cells)

Battery Directive (EU/EEA)

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  • Applicable Countries or Region

    European Union (EU) member states and European Economic Area (EEA) countries

    Note: - Battery Directive is set to be repealed in 2025 by the new Batteries Regulation.

    - New Batteries Regulation entered into force on 17 August 2023.

     

  • Scope Of Batteries

    Lithium-ion batteries

    Lithium metal batteries

    Alkaline batteries

    Nickel-cadmium batteries

    Button cell batteries

    Nickel-metal hydride batteries

    Sealed lead-acid batteries

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  • Battery Testing Flowchart
  • Battery Directive Battery Testing Flowchart.png

PSE (Japan)

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    PSE (Product Safety Electrical Appliance & Material) is a mandatory certification in Japan for electrical appliances and materials.

  • Applicable Country

    Japan

     

  • PSE Mark

    PSE Diamond Mark: The PSE Diamond Mark is the mandatory marking for Category A Products which are also referred to as Specified Products Manufacturers of these products are required to go through a Conformity Assessment to gain a Statement of Conformity which is an essential part of the whole PSE registration process. During this process the manufacturer must conduct product testing and a factory audit through a METI designated CAB (Conformity Assessment Body).

    PSE-diamond-mark.jpg               PSE-circle-mark.jpg

     

    PSE Circle Mark: The PSE Circle Mark is the mandatory marking for Category B products, also called Non-specified Products. The manufacturer tests the product according to the applicable standards of DENAN and then use a Self-Declaration process to declare product conformity.

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  • Test Items
  • Vibration External short circuit
    Mechanical shock(crash hazard)
    Low pressure
    Temperature cycling
    Thermal abuse
    Forced internal short circuit of cells
    Crushing of cells
    Forced discharge
    Overcharge
    Free fall
    Cell protection against a high charging rate
    Free fall of appliance
    Battery enclosure test at high ambient temperature
    Function of the overvoltage protection of batteries

     

KC Certification (South Korea)

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    KC Certification, also known as KC Safety Certification, is a mandatory requirement for products sold in South Korea. It ensures the safety and quality of products through testing according to Korean standards. Products that pass receive the KC mark, indicating compliance with Korean standards. The KC Safety certification system categorizes products into three main groups: electronic products, household products, and items for children.

  • korea-kc-certification-marking-logo.png               

     

    Once the KC Mark registration is successfully completed, the KC logo must be affixed to the product.

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  • Application Procedure
  • KC Certification application procedure .png
  • Test Items
  • High Temperature Storage
    Temperature Cycling Test
    External Short Circuit Test
    Crushing of Cells
    Cell Protection Against a High Charging Rate
    Overheating test (Thermal Abuse Test)

     

UN38.3

  • Battery chemistries that are lithium-based must undergo UN38.3 testing requirements before being transported. This testing certifies that the batteries are safe and will not pose a safety risk during shipping over air, water, rail, or road transportation methods.

  • There are 8 tests required for UN38.3 certification:

    Tests T1-T5, conducted on the same samples for all battery types in sequence: Test T1: Altitude Simulation – Simulates low pressure (primary and secondary cells and batteries)
    Test T2: Thermal Test – This test offers an integrity check during rapid and extreme temperature changes (primary and secondary cells and batteries)
    Test T3: Vibration – Simulates vibration during transportation (primary and secondary cells and batteries)
    Test T4: Shock – Simulates vibration during transportation (primary and secondary cells and batteries)
    Test T5: Short Circuit – Simulates an external short circuit (primary and secondary cells and batteries)
    Test T6: Impact – Simulates impact and crush to the case of the cell (primary and secondary cells)
    Test T7: Overcharge – Simulates overcharge on a rechargeable battery (secondary batteries)
    Test T8: Forced Discharge – Simulates forced discharge of cells (primary and secondary cells)

UL1642(USA)

  • UL 1642 covers secondary (rechargeable) lithium-ion cells and primary (nonrechargeable) cells and batteries. Lithium primary cells have metallic lithium or lithium alloy anodes. Lithium-ion cells do not contain metallic lithium and typically have lithiated graphite at the negative electrode and a lithium metal oxide or phosphate at the positive electrode. Batteries may consist of a single cell or two or more cells connected in series or parallel — both with and without protection and control circuitry. UL 1642 includes the following tests: short circuit, abnormal charging, forced discharge, vibration, shock, crush, cell impact, temperature cycling, heating, altitude simulation and projectile/fire exposure.

Reference

Intertek, "IEC 62133: Safety Testing for Lithium Ion Batteries", https://www.intertek.com/batteries/iec-62133/.

 MPR, "What is PSE", https://www.certification-japan.com/en/pse-psc/pse-certification/.

European Commission. "Batteries" https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/batteries_en.

MPR, "What is KC Certification for South Korea?", https://www.korea-certification.com/en/kc/what-is-kc-certification/

International Electrotechnical Commission, "IEC 62133-2:2017", https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/32662

NEW SCIENCE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY,https://code-authorities.ul.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/02/New_Science_SE_Journal_Issue_2.pdf

UN 38.3 Testing for Lithium Batteries,https://www.intertek.com/batteries/un-38-3-testing/