Does the BIOS motherboard battery need to be UN38.3 certified?

In the field of battery transportation, the UN38.3 certification holds an extremely crucial position. It originates from Section 38.3 of Part 3 of the "United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria for the Transport of Dangerous Goods" specifically formulated by the United Nations for the transport of dangerous goods. Its significance lies in ensuring the safety of lithium batteries during transportation and preventing serious accidents such as fires and explosions caused by battery issues. This certification is recognized and followed by many national and international transportation institutions, and it is an important threshold that cannot be bypassed for the legal transportation of lithium batteries.

Then, does the BIOS motherboard battery need to undergo UN38.3 certification? This should be judged from two aspects: the type of BIOS motherboard battery and the applicable scope of UN38.3 certification.

In terms of type, BIOS motherboard batteries are commonly lithium metal batteries or lithium-ion batteries. The UN38.3 certification clearly stipulates that all lithium-based batteries, whether lithium metal batteries or lithium-ion batteries, and regardless of whether they are transported in the form of single cells or as battery packs, must comply with the relevant testing requirements. From the perspective of transportation scenarios, if the BIOS motherboard battery is transported separately, there is no doubt that it needs to pass the UN38.3 certification. Because as long as lithium batteries are transported separately, they must meet a series of strict tests covered by UN38.3 certification, including high simulation, high and low temperature cycling, vibration test, impact test, 55℃ external short circuit, impact test, overcharge test, forced discharge test, etc. If each package contains more than 24 battery cells or 12 batteries, It is also necessary to pass the 1.2-meter free fall test.

When the BIOS motherboard battery is installed and transported in devices such as the motherboard, the situation is rather complicated. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) 's Dangerous Goods Transport Regulations (DGR) and other regulations indicate that if lithium batteries are transported together with equipment and the battery capacity exceeds a certain standard, they also need to pass the UN38.3 certification. For BIOS motherboard batteries, although they are mainly used to maintain BIOS information on the motherboard, they also fall within the category of built-in device batteries. Manufacturers need to pay attention to the overall transportation requirements of the product. If the product involves international transportation, especially air transportation, even if the BIOS motherboard battery is in the device, UN38.3 certification may still be required to prove its transportation safety.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the BIOS motherboard battery needs to undergo UN38.3 certification. If manufacturers are involved in the transportation of BIOS motherboard batteries, especially international transportation, they must attach great importance to the UN38.3 certification. To understand the certification process in advance, prepare relevant materials and arrange product testing, only by ensuring that the BIOS motherboard battery meets the UN38.3 certification requirements can the smooth transportation of the product be guaranteed, avoiding problems such as transportation obstruction and product detention caused by the lack of certification, and reducing unnecessary economic losses and business risks.