If a device has a built-in lithium ion battery and is shipped, which UN designation would apply?

If a device has a built-in lithium ion battery and is shipped, which UN designation would apply?

• A. Un 3480
• B. Un 3481
• C. Un 3090
• D. Un 3091

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that UN numbers distinguish battery chemistry (lithium-ion vs lithium metal) and how the battery is shipped relative to the equipment (contained in the equipment versus shipped separately). When a device has a built-in lithium-ion battery, that battery is considered contained in the equipment. That’s why the correct designation is for lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment or packed with equipment. So, for a device with a built-in lithium-ion battery, the UN designation applies to lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment, which is UN 3481. The option for UN 3480 covers lithium-ion batteries shipped separately, not installed in equipment. The other numbers refer to lithium metal batteries, which are a different chemistry altogether and not the scenario described.

The key idea is that UN numbers distinguish battery chemistry (lithium-ion vs lithium metal) and how the battery is shipped relative to the equipment (contained in the equipment versus shipped separately). When a device has a built-in lithium-ion battery, that battery is considered contained in the equipment. That’s why the correct designation is for lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment or packed with equipment.

So, for a device with a built-in lithium-ion battery, the UN designation applies to lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment, which is UN 3481. The option for UN 3480 covers lithium-ion batteries shipped separately, not installed in equipment. The other numbers refer to lithium metal batteries, which are a different chemistry altogether and not the scenario described.