Lithium ion batteries have been used in conjunction with internal combustion engines (ICE). Normally, a battery pack's air circulation system draws air from, and returns air to, the environment around the pack including the vehicle's structural members but excluding the passenger cabin.
Although rare, lithium ion battery cells occasionally fail. When a lithium ion battery cell fails, gaseous and liquid electrolyte and certain combusted material vapors/fumes with associated smoke can be emitted from the ruptured cell. The smoke is the result of carbonate combustion and can contain fine carbonaceous particulate matter. Various vapors/fumes can be exhausted, such as dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and other high vapor pressure carbonates, hydrocarbons (HC, e.g., CxHy where x can be zero), and carbon-oxides such as monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Under current practice, these gases are vented to the atmospheric environment around the pack including the vehicle's structural members but excluding the passenger cabin.
It would be desirable to treat the vapors/fumes formed in the event of a lithium ion battery cell failure.