What happens if you have a lithium battery in checked luggage

‌Carrying lithium batteries in checked baggage poses a serious safety hazard, which may cause the lithium batteries to spontaneously combust or explode during the check-in process. ‌

Safety hazards of lithium batteries in checked baggage
‌Risk of spontaneous combustion‌: During the check-in process, lithium batteries are prone to spontaneous combustion due to squeezing and collision, especially in high altitude and high temperature environments. Luggage being squeezed or collided in the narrow cargo hold may cause lithium batteries to short-circuit, overheat, and even cause fire‌

‌Safety regulations‌:
The vast majority of airlines clearly stipulate that power banks (lithium batteries) are prohibited from being checked in. This is because power banks are equivalent to backup batteries for large-capacity lithium battery devices, which are prone to spontaneous combustion when exposed to high temperatures in high altitude areas‌.

Specific safety regulations and penalties
‌Safety regulations‌:

‌Power banks‌:
Power banks are polymer energy storage devices for lithium batteries and are prohibited from being checked in. Single backup batteries must be packaged independently, and the electrodes must be well protected to prevent spontaneous explosion and spontaneous combustion caused by friction, collision and short circuit‌. ‌Lithium battery capacity limit‌: With the approval of the airline, electronic devices with a capacity of more than 100Wh but not more than 160Wh can be carried on board. Each passenger cannot carry more than two such spare batteries, and they cannot be checked in‌.

‌Lithium content limit‌: For lithium metal or lithium alloy spare batteries, the lithium content shall not exceed 2 grams; for lithium ion batteries, the total lithium content of equal quality shall not exceed 8 grams, and each battery shall be well protected to prevent short circuit‌5.
Precautions and safety recommendations

‌Independent packaging‌: Pack lithium battery devices separately, protect the electrodes well, and prevent self-explosion and spontaneous combustion caused by friction, collision and short circuit‌.

‌Power off‌: Turn off the power of lithium battery devices during flight to prevent accidental startup‌.

‌Consult the airline‌: Before carrying lithium battery devices, consult the airline of the flight you are taking to understand the specific lithium battery carrying regulations‌.

The above measures can effectively reduce the safety risks of lithium batteries in checked baggage and ensure flight safety.