"UN38.3" lithium battery transport rules to adjust! 1 January 2023

UN38.3 Test Introduction

in order to ensure the safety of battery air transportation and avoid the occurrence of unsafe events, the United Nations, IATA and other international organizations require that lithium battery transportation must be carried out in accordance with IATA DGR's "United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods-Manual of Tests and Standards" (ST/SG/AC.10/11 Rev.7) for UN38.3 and other tests.

UN38.3 testing is a mandatory test to ensure that lithium batteries can be safely carried out by air and sea. The Civil Aviation Administration clearly requires lithium batteries to pass before air and sea transportation. CNAS Accredited Laboratory (ACCOJE Laboratories) UN38.3 test, airlines must receive the lithium battery UN38.3 conformity report and transport certificate on the premise that the lithium battery can be accepted and shipped.

Lithium Battery Transport Regulation Update 2023

IATA DGR 64 (2023) has made another adjustment to the air transport rules for all kinds of dangerous goods. The new rules will be implemented on January 1, 2023.

01 about the requirements change of button battery summary

UN38.3 removes the requirement to provide a test summary for button cells (UN3091) installed in equipment.

02 UN3171 Add special provisions A154

A154: It is prohibited to transport lithium-ion cells or batteries and lithium-metal cells or batteries that are determined to have a safety defect and may cause dangerous thermal runaway, fire or short circuit (for example, cells or batteries that have been recalled by the manufacturer for safety reasons or cannot be determined to be defective before transportation)

03 PI 965,968 IB packaging new requirements

it is required that each package must be able to withstand a pressure equivalent to the total weight of the same package stacked to a height of 3 meters (including the test sample) on its top surface for 24 hours, without damage to the battery contained therein and the package The damage that may adversely affect the safety of transportation;

04 PI966 II,967 II and other packaging new requirements

PI966 II,PI967 II,PI969 II and PI970 II require that when packages are placed in synthetic packaging (overpack), these packages must be securely contained in the synthetic packaging; and the synthetic packaging must not affect the intended function of each package.

05 change of lithium battery operation label

eliminate the requirement to provide a telephone number on the lithium battery operating mark, and the transition period will be until December 31, 2026, during which the existing mark can continue to be used;

UN38.3 Test methods

before the lithium battery is transported, it must pass T1 height simulation, T2 temperature test, T3 vibration test, T4 impact test, T5 external short circuit, T6 impact/extrusion test, T7 overcharge and T8 forced discharge test to ensure the safety of lithium battery transportation.

For air transportation, if the lithium battery and the equipment are not installed together, they must also pass the 1.2-meter free drop test (the battery core is less than 20wh, and the battery pack is less than 100wh).

Test passed based on judgment:

T1 to T4 test: the test sample has no mass loss, no leakage, no venting, no disintegration, no rupture and no ignition, and the open circuit voltage of each test cell or battery after the test is not less than 90% of its voltage before the test is carried out;

T5 test: the shell temperature of the test sample shall not exceed 170°C, and there shall be no disintegration, rupture, fire and explosion during the test and within 6h after the test is completed;

T6 test: the external temperature of the test sample shall not exceed 170°C, and there shall be no disintegration or fire during the test and within 6 hours after the test;

T7 ~ T8 test: the test sample has no disintegration and no fire during the test and within 7 days after the test.