Safety characterization of Li/MnO2 cells: Li/MnO2 cells are designed to avoid cell venting providing an advantage over Li/SO2 cells

The following paper provides an overview of the Ultralife Batteries, Inc. and Ultralife Batteries (UK) Ltd. cell design and component selection utilized in the manufacturing of lithium-manganese dioxide (Li/MnO₂) cells. A limited comparison of Li/MnO₂ to lithium-sulfur dioxide (Li/SO₂) cells is presented focusing on each cell´s performance characteristics under abuse conditions. These characteristics indicate that Li/MnO₂ cells may be used safely in applications where Li/SO₂ cells may be considered inappropriate. The Li/MnO₂ cells essentially have an additional safety feature that is not present in Li/SO₂ cells. The shutdown separator provides this additional feature. This information is important to end users so that proper decisions can be made about the applicability of using Li/MnO₂ cells in applications that can benefit from their inherent safety over Li/SO₂ and/or by the performance benefit over alternative chemistries in demanding applications. Applications in enclosed areas that may reach high storage and operating temperatures are especially appropriate for the Li/MnO₂ cells in comparison to Li/SO₂ cells