Thermal Runaway in Lithium Batteries: Fire Mechanisms, Early Warning and Advanced Suppression

Dear Colleagues,

Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized energy storage systems, with a wide range of applications from powering electric vehicles and portable electronics to grid-scale renewable energy storage. However, the inherent risks of thermal runaway remain a critical barrier to their safe deployment. Thermal runaway events, often triggered by mechanical damage, electrical abuse, or thermal instability, can result in fires, explosions, and toxic emissions, posing severe threats to human safety, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. Recent incidents involving electric vehicles and energy storage systems underscore the urgency of addressing this challenge to ensure public confidence and accelerate the global transition to clean-energy technologies.

This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research on understanding, mitigating, and preventing thermal runaway in lithium batteries. While advancements in battery chemistry and engineering have improved energy density and cycle life, fundamental gaps persist in unraveling the complex interplay of the electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical factors driving thermal runaway. Furthermore, existing early warning systems and suppression strategies often lack the precision and reliability needed for real-world scenarios. By addressing these knowledge gaps, this Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers in materials science, electrochemistry, thermal engineering, and safety technology to develop robust solutions.

The scope of this Special Issue aligns with Fire’s focus on energy storage innovation and safety. We welcome contributions that explore themes such as the following:

• Multi-scale mechanisms of thermal runaway initiation and propagation;
• Advanced sensing technologies for early detection (e.g., gas, temperature, or pressure-based indicators);
• Novel suppression agents and cooling strategies (e.g., phase-change materials, flame retardants);
• Computational modeling for risk prediction.

Original research articles and reviews with an emphasis on practical scalability and fundamental breakthroughs are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Longfei Han
Dr. Yan Wang
Dr. Junling Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fire is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• thermal runaway
• solid electrolyte
• flame retardant
• battery thermal management
• thermal safety control