What Are The Safety Testing Items for Lithium-Ion Batteries?-xmacey.com

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What Are The Safety Testing Items for Lithium-Ion Batteries?

November 19 , 2025

What Are The Safety Testing Items for Lithium-Ion Batteries?

With the steady growth in demand for lithium batteries from 3C products, the expanding market for mobile phones, laptops, and new energy vehicles, and the increasing demand for energy storage batteries, the production scale of lithium batteries has increased year by year. Amidst this ever-growing market demand, more and more lithium batteries are being used in harsh operating environments, leading to increasingly higher requirements from users for the stability of lithium battery performance. So, what safety tests must lithium batteries undergo to improve performance stability and reliability in practical applications?

Safety issues with lithium-ion batteries typically manifest as combustion and explosion, the root cause of which lies in thermal runaway within the battery. External factors such as overcharging, fire sources, extrusion, puncture, and short circuits can also lead to safety problems.

Currently, international and domestic standards categorize safety testing into three types: mechanical safety, environmental safety, and electrical safety. The specific test contents are as follows:

01 Mechanical Safety Test - Vibration, impact, drop, needle penetration, compression, etc.

Vibration Test

The lithium battery vibration test method : The battery is discharged at 0.2C to 3.0V, then charged at 1C with constant current and constant voltage to 4.2V, with a cutoff current of 10mA. After resting for 24 hours, it is vibrated under the following conditions: amplitude 0.8mm, making the battery vibrate between 10HZ and 55HZ, with the vibration rate increasing or decreasing by 1HZ per minute. After vibration, the battery voltage change should be within ±0.02V, and the internal resistance change should be within 5mΩ.

Battery Impact Test

The battery impact test involves placing the test sample battery on a flat surface. A 15.8mm diameter rod is placed in a cross shape at the center of the sample. A 9.1KG weight is dropped from a height of 610mm onto the sample. Each sample battery only needs to withstand one impact, and a different sample is used for each test. Battery safety performance is tested by dropping different weights from varying heights and with varying impact areas. According to regulations, the battery should not catch fire or explode.

ACEY-8010C Battery Heavy Object Impact Test Machine is mainly used to simulate battery impacts to verify the safety and structural reliability of the battery. It primarily tests the impact resistance of the battery casing, evaluates the stability of the internal structure, verifies the battery's safety protection design, and determines whether the battery meets safety testing standards.

Drop Test

Partial Certification	Requirements for Battery Drop Tests
UN38.3 Certification	Packaged lithium batteries are dropped freely from 1200mm onto a 18-20mm thick hardwood board (laid on a concrete floor) at 20±5°C. Result: Passing if no fire or explosion occurs during or after the test.
UL Certification	Batteries are dropped three times from a height of 1m onto a concrete or metal floor at an ambient temperature of 20±5°C. Result: Passing if no fire or explosion occurs.
CQC Certification	Batteries are fully charged according to the manufacturer's specified charging procedure and then dropped from a height of 1m onto a concrete floor. Cylindrical and button batteries are dropped once from each end face, and the cylindrical end is dropped twice, for a total of i drop tests. Prismatic and soft-pack batteries are dropped once each, for a total of six tests. Result: Passing if no fire or explosion occurs.
CB Certification	Batteries are dropped three times from a height of 1m onto a concrete or metal floor at an ambient temperature of 20±5°C. Result: Passing if no fire or explosion occurs.

Needle Penetration and Compression Tests

Battery compression and needle penetration tests simulate the compression and puncture conditions experienced by various batteries during use, transportation, storage, or household waste disposal.

ACEY-8012B Battery Extrusion Acupuncture Machine is mainly used to assess the safety of batteries under mechanical damage. It can be used for compression or needle penetration tests on various types of batteries, including 3C series batteries, electric modules, and energy storage power batteries. Different specifications such as 2 tons/5 tons/10 tons/20 tons/50 tons are available, and customization is also possible.

02 Environmental Safety Testing - Thermal shock, low pressure, temperature cycling, high temperature, etc.

Thermal Shock Test

Battery thermal shock test (battery thermal abuse test) is used to evaluate the safety and stability of batteries under abnormal temperature rise or overheating environments.

ACEY-8009C Battery Thermal Abuse Test Chamber(Battery Thermal Shock Test Chamber) is suitable for various high-temperature shock tests, baking, aging experiments, and can test the performance indicators and quality of new energy batteries, electronic instruments, materials, electrical equipment, vehicles, metals, electronic products, and various electronic components under high-temperature environments.

Low Pressure

Simulated high-altitude low-pressure test simulates the adaptability of batteries under high-altitude transportation or high-altitude environments to ensure their safety and stability. The battery is fully charged and placed in a vacuum test environment at an ambient temperature of 20℃±5℃ and a low pressure of 11.6Kpa (simulating an altitude of 15240m) for 6 hours. During this process, the battery should not catch fire, explode, or leak.

Temperature Cycling Test
Temperature cycling test evaluates the reliability, safety, and lifespan of batteries under conditions of rapid or gradual temperature changes.

ACEY Battery Temperature Cycling Test Chamber(Battery High and Low Temperature Cycling Test Chamber) is used to evaluate the reliability, safety, and lifespan of batteries under drastic temperature changes. Its main function is to verify the battery's weather resistance, material stability, and safety of use through rapid alternating high and low temperatures. Multiple specifications are available, and customization is possible.

03 Electrical Safety Test - Short circuit, overcharge/over-discharge, etc.

Battery short circuit tests are divided into external short circuit, internal short circuit, and high-current short circuit, etc.

① Room Temperature External Short Circuit Test Method:

Charge the battery at a constant current and constant voltage (CC/CV) of 0.2C to the upper limit voltage of 4.20+/-0.05V, then cut off the current at 0.02C. In an environment of 20±5℃, after the battery surface temperature reaches this temperature, leave it for 30 minutes. Connect the positive and negative terminals of the battery with wires, ensuring that all external resistances are (80±20)mΩ. Detect temperature changes during the experiment. The test terminates when the short-circuit time reaches 24 hours or the battery temperature drops to 20% below the peak value.

Standard: The battery should not catch fire or explode, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 150℃.

② High-Temperature External Short-Circuit Test Method:

Charge the battery at a constant current/constant voltage (CC/CV) of 0.2C to the upper limit voltage of 4.20 +/- 0.05V, then cut off with a current of 0.02C. In an environment of 55±5℃, after the battery surface temperature reaches this temperature, leave it for 30 minutes. Connect the positive and negative terminals of the battery with wires, ensuring that all external resistances are (80±20) mΩ. Monitor the temperature change during the experiment. The test terminates when the short-circuit time reaches 24 hours or the battery temperature drops to 20% below the peak value.

Standard: The battery should not catch fire or explode, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 150℃.

③ Internal Short Circuit:

This refers to direct contact between the positive and negative terminals inside the lithium-ion battery. The degree of contact affects the subsequent reactions significantly. The main factors causing internal short circuits in lithium-ion batteries include: conductive dust on the separator surface, misalignment of positive and negative electrodes, electrode burrs, and uneven electrolyte distribution (processing factors); metallic impurities in the materials; low-temperature charging, high-current charging, rapid degradation of negative electrode performance leading to lithium deposition on the negative electrode surface, vibration or impact; and large-scale internal short circuits caused by mechanical and thermal abuse.

ACEY-8003C Battery Temperature-controlled Short-circuit Test Chamber is mainly used to simulate external short circuits in batteries under normal or high-temperature environments to evaluate battery safety and stability. It provides external short-circuit testing conditions for various types of batteries, including 3C series batteries, battery packs, and energy storage power batteries. Different test standards and circuit resistance values (1mΩ, 5mΩ, 20mΩ, 30mΩ, 80mΩ, 100mΩ, etc.) and current ranges (1000A/2000A/3000A/5000A/8000A/10000A/15000A) are available.

Overcharge and Over-discharge Tests

Overcharging refers to a battery's voltage exceeding its maximum safe allowable value during charging, leading to irreversible electrochemical reactions, gas production, and electrode expansion and deformation.

Over-discharging refers to a battery discharging to an excessively low voltage during use, resulting in damaged electrode reactions, reduced battery capacity, and even dangerous situations such as short circuits and overheating.

ACEY Battery Charge/Discharge Explosion-proof Test Chamber is specifically designed for battery overcharge and over-discharge testing, providing a safe protective space. When connected to external charge/discharge testers, they protect operators and equipment, meet multiple national safety standards, and support customized testing needs.

Among these tests, thermal shock cycling, short circuit, overcharge, over-discharge, vibration, mechanical shock, extrusion, and damp heat testing are common in the lithium battery industry. Salt spray testing and low-pressure testing are less common, although salt spray test chambers are frequently used in other products.

ACEY NEW ENERGY is a high-tech enterprise with over 15 years of experience focusing on the research and development of high-end equipment for lithium-ion batteries.

We not only provide environmental safety testing equipment for lithium batteries, but our business also covers battery raw materials, battery testing equipment, one-stop solutions for battery lab and pilot production lines, battery cell & pack testing equipment, supercapacitor production equipment, battery pack assembly equipment, and turnkey solutions from cell to pack for cylindrical and prismatic batteries.

By now, we have designed more than 150 solutions and exported to more than 40 countries. We sincerely welcome customers from all over the world and hope to be your professional and reliable partner to create a better future together.

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