PROCEDURES FOR SAFE HANDLING OF OFF-GASES FROM ELECTRIC VEHICLE LEAD-ACID BATTERIES DURING OVERCHARGE

The potential for generation of toxic gases from lead-acid batteries has long been recognized. Prior to the current interest in electric vehicles, there were no studies specificaly oriented to toxic gas release from traction batteries, however. As the Department of Energy Demonstration Project (in the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Program) progresses, available data from past studies and parallel health effects programs must be digested into guidance to the drivers and maintenance personnel, tailored to their contact with electric vehicles. The basic aspects of lead-acid battery operation, vehicle use, and health effects of stibine and arsine to provide electric vehicle users with the information behind the judgment that vehicle operation and testing may proceed are presented. Specifically, it is concluded that stibine generation or arsine generation at rapid enough rates to induce acute toxic response is not at all likely. Procedures to guard against low-level exposure until more definitive data on ambient concentrations of the gases are collected are presented for both charging the batteries and driving the vehicles. A research plan to collect additional quantitative data from electric traction batteries is presented. (ERA citation 05:013862)

• Corporate Authors:

  Argonne National Laboratory

  9700 South Cass Avenue
  Argonne, IL  United States  60439

  Department of Energy

  1000 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20585
• Authors:
  • LaBelle, S J
  • Bhattacharyya, M H
  • Loutfy, R O
  • Varma, R
• Publication Date: 1980-1-25

Media Info

• Pagination: 20 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acids; Crash exposure; Electric batteries; Electric vehicles; Gases; Handling characteristics; Health hazards; Heat of hydration; Lead (Metal); Lead acid batteries; Poisons; Research projects; Toxicity
• Uncontrolled Terms: Antimony; Arsenic; Exposure; Handling; Research programs
• Old TRIS Terms: Gaseous wastes
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00314163
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: W-31-109-ENG-38
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 1980 12:00AM