UN 38.3 TESTING AND APPROVALS
The U.S. Department of Transportation regulates shipment of primary Lithium and secondary Lithium-ion cells and batteries. Lithium cells and batteries are classified as a Class 9 Dangerous Good during transport, as they present the potential for fire hazard. UN 38.3 references the U.N. Manual of Tests and Criteria, Sub-section 38.3. UN 38.3 is a mandatory certification for Lithium cell and battery shipments via land, air, rail, and sea. UN 38.3 applies to batteries transported either on their own or installed in a device. UN 38.3 Tests include altitude simulation, thermal cycling, vibration, mechanical shock, external short-circuit, impact, overcharge and forced discharge.
MPS has the staff, test facilities, and the accreditation to perform UN 38.3 approvals in-house. Mobile Power Solutions (MPS) performs;
- UN 38.3 Testing on third party cell and batteries,
- UN 38.3 Pre-testing within our development process at the prototype phase, and
- Formal UN 38.3 testing at the pre-production launch phase.
These UN 38.3 tests, commonly called the T1 – T8 Tests, must be performed on all Lithium (primary and secondary) cells and batteries. To pass these tests, the cells or batteries must not leak, vent, disassemble, rupture, or ignite. Additionally, the open circuit voltage of the sample must be 90% of the sample’s voltage as measured before the test. These tests are summarized below:
For primary and rechargeable Lithium batteries under 12 kg, the types (i.e. primary and rechargeable) of cells or batteries subjected to each test is listed below;
For primary and rechargeable Lithium batteries under 12 kg, the quantity of cells and batteries required for each test is listed below;
In addition to the cells and batteries requiring UN 38.3 approvals, the packaging must undergo testing and approvals as well.
UN 38.3 Classification for Transportation Guidelines
Once the cells or batteries have received UN 38.3 approvals, a shipper must safely package Lithium cells and batteries for transport by all modes of transportation according to the latest regulatory requirements. There are four classifications of UN regulations that a shipper must utilize to ship packages of Lithium cells and batteries in various configurations. The UN regulations for the shipment of these cells and batteries are listed below;
- UN 3090 – Lithium metal batteries shipped by themselves
- UN 3480 – Lithium-ion batteries shipped by themselves
- UN 3091 – Lithium metal batteries contained in or packed with the device
- UN 3481 – Lithium-ion batteries contained in or packed with the device
Example of UN 3481 labeling for portable device with embedded Lithium-ion battery
UN 3090 and UN 3480 apply to cells shipped alone, batteries shipped alone, modules or other incomplete battery subassemblies, power banks, powerpacks, and batteries shipped in a separate package from the mobile device.
UN 3091 and UN 3481 apply to devices with batteries installed, devices packed with a battery in the same package (but not installed in the product), and up to two spare batteries shipped in the same package as the device (i.e. one installed in device, and two spares).
A complete description of the UN Classification for transportation is available at:
A complete description of the UN Tests is available at:
For a Detailed Specification of UN 38.3, click here:
