Safety characterization of Li/MnO/sub 2/ cells: Li/MnO/sub 2/ cells are designed to avoid cell venting providing an advantage over Li/SO/sub 2/ cells

The following paper provides an overview of the Ultralife Batteries, Inc. and Ultralife Batteries (UK) Ltd. cell design and component selection utilized in the manufacturing of lithium-manganese dioxide (Li/MnO/sub 2/) cells. A limited comparison of Li/MnO/sub 2/ to lithium-sulfur dioxide (Li/SO/sub 2/) cells is presented focusing on each cell's performance characteristics under abuse conditions. These characteristics indicate that Li/MnO/sub 2/ cells may be used safely in applications where Li/SO/sub 2/ cells may be considered inappropriate. The Li/MnO/sub 2/ cells essentially have an additional safety feature that is not present in Li/SO/sub 2/ cells. The shutdown separator provides this additional feature. This information is important to end users so that proper decisions can be made about the applicability of using Li/MnO/sub 2/ cells in applications that can benefit from their inherent safety over Li/SO/sub 2/ and/or by the performance benefit over alternative chemistries in demanding applications. Applications in enclosed areas that may reach high storage and operating temperatures are especially appropriate for the Li/MnO/sub 2/ cells in comparison to Li/SO/sub 2/ cells.