Are you wondering how to design the perfect battery label? Read here to find out what exactly should be included on lithium battery labels.
Batteries have been around for well over 200 years now. But not all batteries are created equal. There are so many different types of batteries that have come along since the first batteries began to appear in the early 1800s.
For example, lithium batteries first came along in the 1970s. A lithium battery is a kind of battery that you'll often find in everything from computers and cell phones to solar panels and even some vehicles. They've had a huge impact on the technology world.
It's very important for these battery options to have the right information on their lithium battery labels. Lithium batteries are technically classified as "dangerous goods." So they need to have the necessary info on their battery labels.
Today, we're going to run through several of the things that must appear on lithium battery labels. We're also going to talk about the importance of lithium battery labels.
Continue reading to learn all about lithium battery labels.
As we alluded to a moment ago, lithium batteries can be dangerous if they're not transported and handled in the right way. The Federal Aviation Industry considers them "dangerous goods" since there is always a chance that they can cause:
For this reason, all lithium batteries must have the right battery labels placed on them before they're shipped anywhere. It'll ensure that these batteries aren't exposed to any environments that could cause complications with them.
Companies that either manufacture lithium batteries or produce products that rely on lithium batteries must be aware of how to label them at all times to reduce the chances of these batteries potentially causing problems.
Before we get into discussing exactly how lithium batteries are labeled, it's worth pointing out that there are two main types of lithium batteries. There are lithium metal batteries as well as lithium ion batteries.
Lithium metal batteries are the type of lithium batteries that are not rechargeable. They're often found in items like watches, cameras, calculators, and more.
Lithium ion batteries, on the other hand, are rechargeable. They're typically found in many of the items we mentioned earlier like computers, cell phones, power tools, and more. There are also large lithium ion batteries that can be used to provide power to ATVs, solar panels, and cars.
Lithium metal batteries and lithium metal batteries will carry different lithium battery labels on them. These labels will help to differentiate the types of lithium batteries as they're being transported.
Since there are different types of lithium batteries, there is a system that has been put into place to help separate them. It's called the UN rating system. It was designed by the United Nations to make it easy to determine which lithium batteries fall into which category.
All lithium batteries have the letters "UN" on their labels followed by four numbers. These numbers will indicate which type of lithium battery a particular battery is and how it's being shipped.
Lithium metal batteries will come with either UN3090 or UN3091 on them. Those with UN3090 on them will be lithium metal batteries that are being shipped on their own, while those with UN3091 on them will be lithium metal batteries that are being shipped either inside a piece of technology or along with a piece of technology.
Lithium ion batteries will come with either UN3480 or UN3481 on them. Those with UN3480 on them will be lithium ion batteries that are being shipped on their own, while those with UN3481 on them will be lithium batteries that are being shipped either inside a piece of technology or along with a piece of technology.
Even though there is only a slight difference between these numbers, it'll be very important for the right UN ratings to appear on lithium battery labels. They're going to play a huge part in how lithium batteries are transported and handled.
Lithium batteries will have more than just UN ratings on them. There are also a series of other lithium battery labels that will need to be present on the outside of any package containing these types of batteries.
You're also going to need to see to it that lithium battery labels are printed on durable materials so that they don't get damaged or fall off easily. If this happens, it could lead to lithium batteries being transported or handled improperly, and it could put others at risk.
Here are the different lithium battery labels that must be used any time you ship lithium batteries.
Battery handling labels are going to need to be put on any packages containing lithium batteries that will be included in air shipments. They'll need to be at least 4 inches by 4 inches to ensure that it's easy to see them, though you'll also have the option to make them just 4 inches by 2.75 inches if a package containing lithium batteries is on the smaller side.
Here are other things that should appear on battery handling labels for lithium batteries:
You can either print or hand-write the UN number and phone number on this type of battery handling label if you'd like.
A battery handling label won't be the only type of label that you'll need to place on a package containing lithium batteries. You'll also need to put a class 9 dangerous goods label on it as well.
Just like a battery handling label, a class 9 dangerous goods label will need to be 4 inches by 4 inches in size. It'll also need to contain seven vertical lines on the top half of the label and have a white background.
Additionally, a class 9 dangerous goods label will need to have the universal battery symbol on it and an underlined number 9 toward the bottom of the label.
Any packages that are being shipped that contain lithium batteries shouldn't ever fly on passenger aircrafts. They should only fly on cargo aircrafts.
To keep lithium batteries off passenger aircraft, there is a CAO (cargo aircraft only) label. It looks a little cartoonish at first glance. But it's bright orange and will prevent those who work for airlines from allowing packages with these labels on them onto passenger aircrafts.
These labels are the most straightforward labels of the bunch. They're specifically for lithium ion batteries and will say, "LITHIUM ION BATTERIES —FORBIDDEN FOR TRANSPORT ABOARD PASSENGER AIRCRAFT," on them.
These lithium battery labels are, once again, put in place to stop those who work for airlines from loading packages containing lithium ion batteries onto passenger aircrafts.
There are a handful of different organizations that have helped to create the different lithium battery labels. Some of these organizations include:
These organizations routinely monitor whether or not companies are shipping lithium batteries with the proper lithium battery labels. If your company fails to do it, it could land you in hot water.
Your company may face fines if you don't use the right lithium battery labels. You might also have packages with lithium batteries in them without labels returned to you.
Because of this, you should always include the required information on lithium batteries. You should also strive to stay up-to-date on the latest changes to lithium battery label requirements.
Lithium batteries have turned into some of the most often-used types of batteries in the U.S. today. It's why you need to know so much about lithium battery labels. But they're far from the only batteries utilized today.
There are so many other battery options out there. You should take the time to discover more about them. It'll provide you with a better understanding of what sets them apart.
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