The IEC 62133 standard specifies requirements and tests for the safe operation of portable sealed secondary cells and batteries (other than button cells) containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes under both intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse. IEC 62133:2012 is the second edition of this battery standard, replacing the previous 2002 edition. The 2012 (or 2nd) edition includes a number of significant changes from the 1st edition, namely: update of assembly of cells into batteries, addition of design recommendations for lithium systems only, separation of nickel systems and lithium systems, addition of specific requirements and tests for lithium systems, and the addition of charging of secondary lithium-ion cells for safe use informational.
The standard exists to ensure cells and batteries are manufactured by reputable battery designers that have good quality controls in place. IEC 60086-4:2014 is specific to lithium metal batteries and is very similar to IEC 62133 in terms of scope and purpose. IECEE, the administrative body for the International Electrotechnical Commission, is responsible for issuing and maintaining records of certification to either standard under the Certified Body Scheme (CB).
The focus of UL 2054 is a safety standard for household and commercial batteries by the Underwriter’s Laboratories. It encompasses more foreseeable misuse testing going so far as to actually recreate fault conditions in the battery to thoroughly test redundant measures. UL 2054 applies to all types of batteries (not bare cells) and comes complete with auditing requirements of the manufacturer and related documentation.
