Safety and compliance
UL 1642
The North American standard covering lithium cells, with UL 2054 covering battery packs assembled from them.
What it changes in practice
Recognition is issued under a file number that lists the models covered. The useful question is therefore not whether a supplier has a UL certificate but whether the specific model being purchased appears in that file. A supplier holding a UL file is not the same claim as a given cell being listed in it.
Why it matters when you specify a cell
Check the file number and the model list, not the logo. Recognition covers the constructions listed in the file; a variant added later is only covered once the file is updated. Put the file number in your compliance documentation so the check is repeatable at the next audit.
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 →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 →MSDS / SDS
The safety data sheet describing the chemical hazards of a cell, its handling requirements and the response to fire, leak or exposure.
Read the entry →