Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
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Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#2From 2021
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#3July 1, 2021
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#4"When we smothered it with the concrete, we're not 100% sure that this thermal runaway is not continuing," Chief Steffes said. "It is probably continuing and hopefully it is going to consume what is left of the batteries underneath then it will be over. But there is a possiblility that as this continues that it does break through this Portland cement."
That sounds more like the fire was isolated or hidden, not actually put out. But at least the cement will provide a considerable barrier.
...of course, the question is then how they will clean up --- 28 tons of cement is not exactly easy to move.
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#5This is from over a year ago, but it would be very interesting to read a more recent update.
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#6Wouldn’t calcium carbonate be a good and very cheap option here?
The heat of a lithium battery fire will lead to a calcination reaction and suck up heat and turn the limestone into cement and co2. The cement and water along with sand might form a concrete-y slurry?
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#7anyone know if it was lifepo4 chemistry?
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#8This is from over a year ago, but it would be very interesting to read a more recent update.
From April of this year:
> Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will resume cleanup of hazardous and potentially hazardous substances remaining after the June 29, 2021, lithium battery fire at 900 E. Benton St., Morris, Illinois. The Agency estimates the cleanup will take five to six months.
> The building housed more than 500,000 pounds of batteries, including more than 140,000 pounds of lithium batteries
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-resumes-cleanup-hazardo...
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#9Off topic... What's the best way to easily recycle these batteries? I normally disassemble my old phones and securely dispose of the chips (for my privacy), but the batteries are glued in with a strong adhesive. Just trying to remove them can start a fire. I think most people just throw the old phones in the trash, but I don't like to do that. It's bad for the environment and potentially dangerous to trash workers.
It seems that phone manufacturers should make the batteries easy to remove, replace and recycle. Not sure why they do not do this.
Home Depot has drop offs for old batteries, but last time I was there they told me they were for power tool batteries only now.
Re: Li-ion battery warehouse fire put out with Portland cement (2021)
#10This was in 2021; it appears the fire was extinguished by July 11 [1], investigated by Vice later that year [2], and seems to still be being cleaned up by US EPA [3].
1. https://www.ehs.com/2021/07/morris-lithium-battery-fire-high...
2. https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vj73/everyone-thought-the-...
3. https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-resumes-cleanup-hazardo...