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As of October 1, 2009, new U.S. and International Lithium Battery Transportation Regulations went into effect. These rules were for the transportation and shipping of lithium ion batteries, including both primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) lithium batteries.
Rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are the most common cellular phone battery in use as of October 1, 2009. RMS Communications Group, Inc. has developed a Lithium Ion Battery Shipping Policy, in order to be in compliance with the new regulations.
Typically, cellular phone batteries have a capacity at or below 7.0 WH or Watt-hours. The WH calculation is the nominal voltage multiplied times the batteries rated capacity, in ampere hours. A cellular phone battery is typically one Lithium Ion cell. One Lithium Ion cell will develop 3.7 volts and have an ampere hours capacity of 1.5 amperes or less. A 3.7 volt battery, at 1.5 ampere hours will have a WH rating of 5.55WH.
A typical cellular phone battery's total weight is less than 300kg or .3 grams.
Subsequently the UN3480, P.I. 965, part 1 regulation applies. This is for batteries below 20 WH, with less than 1 gram of Lithium.
This requires three actions:
- A completed IATA Lithium Battery Label be affixed to the exterior of the shipping container,
- The proper shipping documentation is required from the shipper, and
- The batteries are packaged I compliance with the General Packaging Requirements.
RMS complies with all the aforementioned requirements, when shipping Lithium Ion Batteries. Our policy, in fact goes beyond the UN requirements, in that the UN Regulations allow "pasteboard" material to be used. RMS only uses plastic, with each battery being sealed in its own plastic pouch.
The RMS Engineering Staff has decided that since "pasteboard" is basically made of layers of paper pasted together or of pressed and dried paper pulp, its integrity as an insulator may easily be compromised by water damage, thus potentially allowing the terminals of batteries in adjacent compartments to make contact, creating a potential fire hazard. Subsequently, RMS will not ship Lithium Ion batteries in pasteboard containers, even though allowed by regulation.
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