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Lithium Thionyl Chloride Cell Safety Data Sheet

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The Lithium Thionyl Chloride Cells and Batteries Safety Data Sheet is Electrochem Solutions' 11-page safety data sheet, in US OSHA format, for its hermetically sealed lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl2) cells: the 100, 150, 165, 180 and 200 Moderate Rate, QTC, MWD and VHT series. It was first issued on 15 February 2017; the hosted copy is revision 5 of 1 May 2025.[1]

The cells it covers are industrial ones, but the chemistry is the same as the 3.6 V half-AA cells used for memory backup in vintage computers, for example Saft's LS 14250, a "3.6 V primary lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl2)" ½AA bobbin cell.[2] The SDS is useful when cleaning up after one of these cells has leaked or vented.

What it says

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  • The sealed cell is not hazardous; the hazards listed are for a ruptured cell. The electrolyte is thionyl chloride (CAS 7719-09-7, 25-39 % by weight), with 1.5-5 % lithium.[1]
  • A ruptured cell's electrolyte releases toxic sulphur dioxide gas and causes burns to the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Hazardous decomposition products are lithium oxides, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, bromine and chlorine. The exposure limits for thionyl chloride are a ceiling of 0.2 ppm (ACGIH TLV) and 1 ppm (NIOSH, and OSHA's vacated PEL).[1]
  • Clean-up: neutralise electrolyte-contaminated surfaces with baking soda, soda lime or sodium bicarbonate, and put the damaged cell and the clean-up materials in a sealed, labelled container with the same neutralising material.[1] These are alkaline; vinegar, which is used on alkaline-cell leakage, is an acid and is not a substitute here.
  • Handling: do not crush, pierce or short the cell, do not heat it directly or solder to it, and do not put it in a fire. A cell that has been dropped or mechanically shocked should be isolated and watched for about five days for an internal short circuit and resulting fire.[1]
  • Fire: "Use of water spray when fighting a lithium fire may be inefficient. However, copious amounts of water may be used to cool a battery fire and extinguish any surrounding combustible fires."[1]

Download: Lithium Thionyl Chloride Cells and Batteries Safety Data Sheet.pdf (1.7 MB)

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Electrochem Solutions, Safety Data Sheet: Lithium Thionyl Chloride Cells and Batteries, revision 5, 1 May 2025, PDF. Section 1 (identification, p. 1), 2 (hazards, pp. 1-2), 3 (composition, p. 3), 5 (fire fighting, p. 4), 6 (accidental release, p. 4), 7 (handling, p. 4), 8 (exposure limits, p. 5), 10 (decomposition products, p. 7).
  2. ↑ Saft, Primary lithium battery LS 14250 datasheet, farnell.com/datasheets/1064043.pdf.
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