DOT and FAA ban non-rechargeable lithiums from cargo?
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DOT bans some cargo shipments of batteries on passenger planes
The DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) have issued an interim final rule banning cargo shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries aboard passenger flights, noting that these batteries pose a fire hazard when transported in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft. DOT announced, however, that airline passengers will still be allowed to carry on board and use, or pack in checked bags, personal computers and other consumer products that contain lithium batteries. “Our recent research shows that non-rechargeable lithium batteries pose a special fire risk and are difficult to extinguish even when shipped in relatively small numbers,” said Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta.
The ban goes into effect on Dec. 29, 2004, and will apply to all U.S.-carrier flights and those of foreign carriers into and out of the United States. The public can file comments on the rule until Feb. 13, 2005, and RSPA plans to hold a public meeting on this issue, after which adjustments to the rule could be made if warranted.
The hazardous nature of the batteries is due to the presence of lithium, which has electrochemical properties that make it highly reactive. RSPA and FAA, working with fire-safety experts at the FAA’s Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J., found that if a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries caught fire in flight, current aircraft cargo fire-suppression systems would not be able to extinguish the fire. A single non-rechargeable lithium battery on fire within a cargo shipment would likely cause all surrounding batteries to catch fire and burn until the entire shipment is consumed. Burning non-rechargeable lithium batteries could result in molten lithium penetrating the cargo compartment liner or raise air pressure levels high enough to break through the cargo-compartment panels, allowing the fire to spread beyond the cargo compartment to other parts of the aircraft. FAA researchers also found that any fire in an aircraft cargo compartment — regardless of location or cause, and even if suppressed — could raise cargo compartment temperature enough to self-ignite a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries.
However, individual shipments of properly secured and packaged equipment containing small lithium batteries (e.g., a laptop computer) still will be allowed on passenger flights. Also, cargo shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries will be permitted on all-cargo flights. DOT will continue to study the safety of cargo shipments of other types of batteries, such as rechargeable (lithium-ion) batteries, on passenger flights to determine if further rulemaking is warranted.
