Marine blankets to deal with lithium battery fires
Marine fire safety company Sea-Fire Marine says it has produced a blanket especially to deal with lithium battery fires.
Lithium battery fires are notoriously difficult to deal with because even when completely doused with water, they can re-ignite.
Electric vehicle fires on-board container ships have been a growing concern, and with the increasing use of battery-powered vessels, engine rooms are also a key consideration.
Sea-Fire Marine, based in Florida, has come up with a ’LiCELL SB Series Fire Blanket’ that it says is incapable of igniting.
“For many types of isolated fires, smothering is an effective suppression technique,” the company says. “Except if a lithium-ion battery is burning.”
Sea-Fire Marine says its blanket has been engineered specifically to withstand extremely high temperatures for prolonged periods ‘as well as contain expelled debris and shrapnel commonly encountered with lithium-ion battery fires’.
Made using a fully oxidised woven fabric with a high silica glass fibre content, the blanket, it says, has been independently tested for prolonged direct flame contact and temperatures of up to 1,400oC.
It is re-usable, available in four sizes and easily stowed.
