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First Tellurium Reports on Recent Lithium-ion Battery Fires and Safety Advantages of New Lithium-Tellurium Batteries
Vancouver, BC, Canada, March 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL, OTC: FSTTF) (the “Company” or “First Tellurium”), reports that incre
About this update from First Tellurium Corp
[{"type":"text","content":" Vancouver, BC, Canada, March 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL, OTC: FSTTF) (the “Company” or “First Tellurium”), reports that increasing incidents of lithium-ion battery fires, including a recent five-alarm fire in New York City caused by an electric bicycle battery, are reinforcing the need for solid-state, lithium-tellurium (LiTe) batteries that are far safer and do not catch fire. The new LiTe batteries are under development by First Tellurium strategic partner Fenix Advanced Materials and the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), and were featured in a Global TV News segment in early 2022. NBC News noted that firefighters throughout the U.S. are expressing concern about the increasing number of fires due to lithium-ion batteries. Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel stated that firefighters have their hands full with the emergence of lithium-ion battery fires. “It’s not just the ignition source (the batteries), it’s also the fuels,” said Thiel. “We are really concerned. These types of fires burn hotter and faster than ever before. It’s not just exponential growth, it’s logarithmic growth.” As a result of the New York fire, city Mayor Eric Adams signed new safety standards for lithium-ion batteries into law on March 20. Earlier this month, Congressman Ritchie Torres announced a new bill mandating federal safety standards for lithium-ion batteries. \"These (fires) are extremely dangerous,” said Mayor Adams, “and I'm really calling on our national government to look at how do we restrict the sales of these batteries.” Along with the LiTe battery’s far higher charging capacity, much smaller size and battery life up to 400% that of lithium-ion batteries, a key advantage of LiTe batteries is their safety. “Lithium-tellurium batteries are ultra-safe,” said Don Freschi, CEO of Fenix Advanced Materials. “One version of our newest lithium-tellurium battery use a gel polymer electrolyte, which eliminates the flammable liquid organic electrolyte used in most EV lithium batteries.” UBC Okanagan Principal’s Research Chair in Energy Storage Technologies Dr. Jian Liu, stated, “All-solid-state, lithium-tellurium batteries enable higher energy output with an improved safety rating inside a smaller form-factor, thereby expanding its possible applications.” Liu added, “The high purity of the telluriu...