How Packaging Regulations Can Drive Packaging Innovation

Transcription

1 How Packaging Regulations Can Drive Packaging Innovation Lithium Battery Panel Discussion for the 2018 Labelmaster Dangerous Goods Symposium 7 September 2018 James Jones Director Product & Quality Management PA 2

2 Feedback Loop Between Innovation & Regulations Product innovations create new hazards as a side effect Lithium ion batteries are light weight & energy dense Excellent power source for portable devices, tools & vehicles But energy density creates fire/explosion risk Regulatory response to new risk is new standards for product performance and related packaging, transport & use Incremental process with many stakeholders Degree/scale of risk affects speed/severity of new standards/regulations Technical & commercial viability of new standards affect final standards Manufacturers respond with innovations to meet new standards Technical viability is not same as commercial viability Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 2

3 New & Proposed Battery Packaging Standards Have Driven Two Approaches to Innovation in Lithium Battery Packaging Worst case containment Design packaging that can contain a thermal runaway cascade that propagates to all cells/batteries in the package Burning all batteries is accepted Focus on containing thermal runaway hazards of flames, blast & ballistic projectiles inside the package Limit thermal runaway spread Design packaging that limits the spread of thermal runaway cascade from the initiating cell/battery to adjacent cells/batteries Only burning of the initiating battery & 1 or 2 adjacent batteries is accepted Focus on reducing all hazards inside & outside the package by limiting thermal runaway propagation Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 3

4 Worst Case Containment Advantages Blast control Ballistic projectile control Flame arrestment Fire containment May prevent auto-ignition of adjacent packages Disadvantages No control of flammable gases* No control of hazardous gases* No control of particulates in battery smoke Greater HAZMAT clean-up requirements *New products may add this capability Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 4

5 Limit Thermal Runaway Spread Advantages Blast control Ballistic projectile control Flame arrestment Flammable gas control* Hazardous gas control* Smoke filtering* Prevents auto-ignition of adjacent packages Reduced HAZMAT clean-up requirements *Direct effect in some In-direct effect in most Disadvantages All hazard mitigations dependent on effectiveness & speed of thermal runaway limitation method Packaging may not be robust enough to withstand full thermal runaway cascade if limitation fails Dangerous amounts of flammable & hazardous gases may be vented into cargo hold if limitation is slow or fails Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 5

6 Examples Worst case containment Various metal containers Various flame resistant or flame retardant materials reinforced with ceramic plates or other material with high ballistic resistance such as Kevlar or carbon fiber Ceramic coatings on corrugation Combinations of metal, Kevlar, carbon fiber or ceramic coated corrugation with Vermiculite pellets Limit thermal runaway spread Intumescent coatings on corrugation Intumescent plastic Gel packs (some with flame retardant corrugation) Flame retardant & gas adsorbing silicone beads Thermal panels with flame retardant corrugation & gas adsorption Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 6

7 Technical Viability vs. Commercial Viability Robust Metal Containers w/various flame retardant or fire resistant liners, blast resistance, pressure management & gas filtration/suppression Highly technically viable for all use cases Requires many reuses for commercial viability Applications in niche markets & closed loop logistics systems Not commercially viable for mass market applications Corrugated or Other Non-metal Containers w/various flame retardant/resistant capabilities, blast resistance, pressure management, gas filtration/suppression Technically viable (depending on package & intended use) Single use package is commercially viable Applications in niche markets Commercially viable in mass market applications Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 7

8 Thank You! James Jones Director Product & Quality Management PA 2 E: jjones@pa-2.com Copyright Procyon-Alpha Squared, Inc. (PA 2 ) All rights reserved. 8