As Canada and other nations pursue Net Zero ambitions, electric vehicles have risen as one of the clean energy initiatives most supported by government efforts.
With EV sales climbing, national and provincial governments have been investing millions of dollars into thousands of charging stations across Canada.
But one risk with the electrification of everything is the associated reliance on lithium ion batteries, which have a propensity to ignite (and reignite), to supply the energy.
A company based out of Toronto has developed one solution to address this risk.
Full Circle Lithium is behind FCL-X, a product specifically designed to put out lithium-ion fires across a range of applications, from cars and bicycles to phones and laptops.
“The FCL-X fire suppression agent is designed to mitigate the risks associated with lithium-ion battery fires, offering advanced technology tailored for efficient response,” Carlos Vicens, founder and chief executive officer of FCL, stated in December.
Beyond fire, lithium battery explosions can also release toxic gases when they burn, including fluorine, phosphorus, and carbon monoxide. Full Circle’s solution neutralizes chemical reactions, forming a protective layer over materials containing elemental lithium to stop the oxidation process and prevent re-ignition.
The extinguisher also cools the battery to halt hazardous thermal runaway, which is a chain reaction where heat causes more heat.
In the midst of commercialization (FCL-X is now available on Amazon in the US), Full Circle’s extinguisher has passed the Dutch NTA 8133 standard, which is widely considered to be among the world’s toughest test for portable fire extinguishers against lithium-ion battery fires.
The firm has also been working with the US Fire Pump Company on several large lithium-ion battery fire demonstrations to prove the safety and effectiveness of its solution.
Most recently, FCL this month signed a deal with ITOCHU Corporation to push its agent into the Japanese and Korean markets.
Founded in 2021, FCL trades publicly as FCLI on the TSX Venture Exchange.