A while back, ICC Published a blog on how to ship damaged and defective batteries. This blog mentioned the importance of using the best quality packaging that will mitigate harmful consequences when shipping damaged/defective lithium batteries and help reduce the risk of transportation-related hazardous or regulatory non-compliance incidents. If you do have a defective or damaged lithium battery to ship, in addition to verifying the correct packaging regulations, you should be asking yourself one question, would my packaging contain the heat, fire, and smoke if the battery does, in fact, explode? This is where Extover comes into the picture. Unlike most other cushioning material on the market, Extover has the ability to suppress smoke, fire, and heat in the event of a fire starting within outer packaging. Extover essentially displaces oxygen, absorbs energy, and ultimately suffocates fire inside an outer packaging.
What is Extover?
Extover is a loose-fill, granular, spherical, cushioning material/extinguishing agent made from recycled glass. In addition to being an innovative cushioning when shipping dangerous goods, it also acts as a fire extinguishing agent for class D fires. Extover not only puts out the fire, but it absorbs the heat, smoke, and gas without producing any harmful by-products.
Being that it is derived from recyclable glass formed into tiny granules, it is environmentally friendly and non-combustible per the list of benefits below:
- Multifunctional (extinguisher, absorbent, filtration medium)
- Low weight, easy handling as bulk material
- Causes no extinguishing agent damage (compared to water, foam, or powder)
- Causes no corrosion (compared to extinguishing salts)
- Very good free-flowing and conveying properties
- Can be used with other fire extinguishing agents
- Environmentally and health-friendly (pure glass)
- Non-hazardous, no danger to users (e.g., due to extinguishing gases or oxygen reduction)
- Maintenance-free
- Recyclable (if not contaminated)
- Sustainable, because it is made of post-consumer recycled glass
Different Applications include:
- Non-combustible material for packaging
- Batteries fire protection
- Fire extinguishing agent for class D fires
- Preventive fire protection
Why use Extover?
Extover is beneficial because damaged and defective batteries are usually more at risk of thermal runaway due to uncontrolled releases of the battery’s chemically stored energy. Thermal runaway results in a rapid increase of battery cell temperature and pressure, accompanied by the release of flammable gas. These flammable gases will often be ignited by the battery’s high temperature, resulting in a fire similar to the video here.
Extover is the perfect solution. As it stands now within The United States, the 49 CFR 173.185 (f) limits the type of outer packaging that can be used when shipping damaged batteries, excluding fiberboard packaging, that is of course, unless you have a special permit, stay tuned. If you are shipping defective/damaged batteries in the meantime, Extover would be the perfect inner cushioning inside of an open head drum or a wooden box, for example, which are acceptable outer packagings in both the U.S and Canada. Extover is not just limited for use with defective/damaged batteries by any means. Feel free to use Extover when shipping a variety of explosives or flammable substances to eliminate the chance of fire and smoke within your outer packaging. Here is a video video of Extover’s Fire suppressing capabilities.
Extover is now available for purchase at ICC. If you are interested, please feel free to call us at please contact us at 888-442-9628 (U.S.) or 888-977-4834 (Canada)
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