Lithium Battery UN38.3 Air Transport Test Report

The United Nations (UN) "Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods: Manual of Tests and Criteria," specifically Section 38.3, outlines the testing requirements for lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries (i.e., UN38.3).
UN38.3 test items:
T1 Altitude simulation test for primary or secondary cells or batteries;
T2 Thermal test;
T3 Vibration test;
T4 Shock test;
T5 External short circuit test;
T6 Impact test (applicable only to primary or secondary cells);
T7 Overcharge test (applicable only to secondary batteries);
T8 Forced discharge test (applicable only to primary or secondary cells).
2. Currently, airlines, in accordance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations, have established relevant testing requirements for products such as rechargeable lithium batteries, including but not limited to mobile phone batteries, laptop batteries, walkie-talkie batteries, camera batteries, and remote-controlled toy batteries, whether transported alone or with equipment. For products containing lithium batteries, the testing requirement is specified in Part 3, Section 38.3 of the "UN Manual of Tests and Criteria for the Transport of Dangerous Goods" (referred to as the UN38.3 test).
3. To ensure aviation transport safety and meet customer demands for transporting goods containing lithium batteries, the rechargeable lithium battery operation standard, i.e., the UN38.3 (UNDOT) test, has been established based on the relevant provisions of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
4. According to civil aviation regulations, airlines and airport cargo acceptance departments must review transport documents for lithium batteries, with the most critical being the UN38.3 safety test report for each model of lithium battery. This report can be provided by a third-party testing agency designated by civil aviation authorities or by battery manufacturers with testing capabilities. If this test report cannot be provided, civil aviation authorities will prohibit the air transport of lithium batteries.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) UN38.3 refers to Part 3, Section 38.3 of the "UN Manual of Tests and Criteria for the Transport of Dangerous Goods," specifically formulated by the United Nations for the transport of dangerous goods. It requires that lithium batteries must pass tests including altitude simulation, high and low temperature cycling, vibration test, shock test, external short circuit at 55°C, impact test, overcharge test, and forced discharge test to ensure safe transport. If lithium batteries are not installed with equipment and each package contains more than 24 cells or 12 batteries, they must also pass a 1.2-meter free fall test.