Safety and compliance
MSDS / SDS
The safety data sheet describing the chemical hazards of a cell, its handling requirements and the response to fire, leak or exposure.
What it changes in practice
The SDS travels with the shipment and is what a warehouse, a carrier and a fire service will ask for. It has to match the actual shipping configuration: cells, batteries and batteries installed in equipment are classified differently and the documentation differs accordingly. An SDS that describes a different configuration is worse than none, because it sends the responder to the wrong procedure.
Why it matters when you specify a cell
The data sheet has to describe the configuration actually shipped: cells alone, packed with equipment, or contained in equipment are different entries. A document written for loose cells does not correctly describe a pack installed in a device, and that mismatch is a common reason a consignment is held at a port.
Related terms
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Other terms in this group
Transport, safety and what the documents actually cover.
UN38.3
The transport test regime lithium cells and batteries must pass before they can be moved by air or sea, covering eight tests including altitude, thermal, vibration, shock and external short circuit.
Read the entry →IEC 62133
The international safety standard for sealed portable secondary lithium cells and batteries, with part 2 covering lithium systems.
Read the entry →IEC 62619
The international safety standard for secondary lithium cells and batteries used in industrial applications, including stationary energy storage.
Read the entry →UL 1642
The North American standard covering lithium cells, with UL 2054 covering battery packs assembled from them.
Read the entry →Thermal runaway
A self-sustaining internal heating process in which a cell generates heat faster than it can dissipate it, leading to venting, fire or propagation to adjacent cells.
Read the entry →