from legal riots
Americans are beginning to wake up to the reality of a “new green energy utopia”…which will apparently require more chemical reactions and fire reactions than initially promised.
Posted by Leslie Eastman
Another high-profile example of the dangers associated with lithium-ion batteries occurred during an explosion at a battery processing plant near Fredericktown, Missouri. The incident prompted a local evacuation.
A fire broke out at a battery recycling plant near a southeastern Missouri town on Wednesday, forcing residents to evacuate their homes.
Around 2 p.m., Madison County 911 representatives from the Sheriff's Office posted a message on Facebook asking residents north and west of Fredericktown to leave the area.
“If you see or smell smoke in the area, you need to evacuate!” the post said.
Later in the afternoon, Madison County 911 and the Fredericktown Fire Department said in a separate post that only residents on Route 277 in Madison County needed to be evacuated. The county urged other residents to shelter in place. The city of Frederictown is not affected by the order, the post said.
“Close doors and windows and turn off window air conditioning systems,” the post reads. “…Again, if you see smoke, please stay indoors.”
Fortunately, no casualties were reported. The company, called Critical Mineral Recovery, is a large-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility.
The 225,000-square-foot facility is used to “recycle lithium-ion battery-related materials from global battery manufacturers, automotive OEMs, battery dealers, recyclers and processors,” the company said on its website. and describes it as “one of the world's largest lithium-ion battery processing facilities.”
I suspect the cause of the explosion was thermal runaway, a major problem with lithium-ion batteries. This happens when a battery overheats, causing a chain reaction that spreads to other batteries. This reaction also produces oxygen, which increases the intensity of the fire.
The temperature of the battery rises slowly at first and then suddenly, reaching a peak temperature in about one second.
Another factor that makes lithium-ion battery fires difficult to treat is the production of oxygen. When the metal oxides in the battery's cathode, or positively charged electrode, are heated, they break down and release oxygen. Fire requires oxygen to burn, so a battery that can produce oxygen can keep the fire going.
Due to the nature of the electrolyte, a 20% increase in lithium-ion battery temperature can cause some unnecessary chemical reactions to occur faster, thereby releasing excess heat. Excess heat increases battery temperature and accelerates reactions. Elevated battery temperatures increase reaction rates, creating a process called thermal runaway. When this happens, the temperature inside the battery can rise from 212 F (100 C) to 1,800 F (1000 C) in one second.
State and environmental authorities are currently investigating the impact of the explosion in the area.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources sent two people to the site Wednesday night to assess air quality, runoff and other potential environmental impacts.
“Our response staff will help consult on fire response actions, collect environmental samples during events as needed, and oversee cleanup measures afterward,” information officer Brian M. Quinn said in an email. the email read. “Environmental contractors will be doing the actual cleanup work and it's our job to make sure it's done right.”
The federal Environmental Protection Agency will also be involved in air monitoring. Quinn said until agencies know more about the impact, people should avoid direct exposure to smoke and follow safety instructions from local authorities.
Readers of Legal Rebellion may recall that a lithium-ion battery fire at a San Diego factory took weeks to put out. Interestingly, nearby schools are still being evacuated…in anticipation of further firefighting activities.
Fredericktown R-1 schools kept students indoors Thursday but canceled classes Friday, according to the district's Facebook page. The district said in a post Friday morning that the closure was not due to air quality issues but was “out of an abundance of caution” in anticipation of further firefighting operations.
Apparently, Americans are starting to wake up to the reality of a “new green energy utopia”… which will apparently require more chemical reactions and fire reactions than initially promised.
Emissions from these fires are also slightly above zero.
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