These lithium-ion batteries can't catch fire because they harden on impact
August 22, 2018, American Chemical Society
Adding powdered silica (in blue container) to the polymer layer (white sheet) that separates electrodes inside a test battery (gold bag) will prevent lithium-ion battery fires. Credit: Gabriel Veith
Lithium-ion batteries commonly used in consumer electronics are notorious for bursting into flame when damaged or improperly packaged. These incidents occasionally have grave consequences, including burns, house fires and at least one plane crash. Inspired by the weird behavior of some liquids that solidify on impact, researchers have developed a practical and inexpensive way to help prevent these fires.
They will present their results today at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
https://techxplore.com/news/2018-08-lithium-ion-batteries-harden-impact.html
