CT Manufacturer Leads Global Green Packaging Industry
- Published: April 11, 2025
Strong, Sustainable Products Protect Human Lives And the Environment From Toxic Lithium Battery Fires
Connecticut manufacturer Packaging and Crating Technologies, LLC, a leader in the green, sustainable packaging industry for the past 30 years, is doing its Earth Day part by taking organic materials and creating several patented products designed to eliminate one of the most environmentally-threatening offenders of our modern time: lithium battery fires. Specifically, within the past couple of years, the family-owned company has developed the eco-friendly PACT Thermo ShieldTM, TR SleeveTM, TR EnvelopeTM and the PACT Lion-X TM Fire Extinguisher to save human lives and the planet.
“As evidenced by the daily news headlines, lithium-battery explosions in all of our current hand-held devices and electronic equipment are becoming a severe threat to the planet,” said Rodger Mort, chief operating officer at PACT, LLC. “Lithium battery fires generate extreme heat and usually have to smolder out on their own after hours or even days, all while releasing toxic gas and black smoke into the atmosphere which compromises our air and water quality and contributes to climate change.”
Mort notes that every day, there are multiple electronic fires across the world whether it’s a cargo ship carrying a fleet of EVs across the ocean, an electric bus combusting while its being charged in a city docking station, or even a consumer charging their electric bike battery which is left unattended in their apartment. In fact, recent data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shows that lithium battery fires on U.S. flights have risen 388% since 2015, now occurring nearly twice a week.
What makes lithium batteries dangerous is that they can become damaged very easily, typically when they are being transported, stored or charged. The damage or defect then causes thermal runaway, a phenomenon in which the lithium-ion cell enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state. This can result in an explosion of smoke, fire and shooting shrapnel, while creating an extremely dangerous domino effect as the fire spreads to and ignites other lithium battery cells.
It was in answer to safety measures requested by its commercial, industrial and military clients that PACT fabricated PACT® Thermo ShieldTM, a lightweight, fire-suppressant wrap made from 100% recycled paper and coated with a proprietary organic ink that controls thermal runaway in electronics. When a lithium battery goes into thermal runaway and begins to burn, the special ink releases a moisture barrier that creates a vapor cloud to immediately cool the internal contents of the package, while limiting oxygen around the package to prevent lethal gases from forming. To date, it is the only product that has passed the proposed testing standards of the SAE International for safety in shipping lithium batteries via land, sea and air.
Taking its invention one step further, PACT then created TR SleeveTM, in which its natural PACT Thermo ShieldTM paper is wrapped around each lithium battery cell to mitigate thermal runaway between them, thus serving as a crucial heat and flame barrier. TR SleeveTM has become an international safety precaution for the charging of E-mobility batteries used in the ever-prevalent EVs, E-buses, E-scooters and E-bikes as BS Technics, a thermal interface company in Korea is using TR Sleeve in lithium battery production for its multi-national customers like as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG Electronics, among other prominent brands.
Similarly, TR EnvelopeTM, also made from PACT Thermo ShieldTM, safely transports and stores smaller devices such as cell phones, pagers, smartwatches and other items that use rechargeable A-D batteries.
Mort explains that any of the PACT Thermo ShieldTM paper-based solutions can be re-used multiple times and safely discarded and recycled in landfills when maximum usage is achieved
Lastly, Mort discusses the company’s newest green invention – the PACT Lion-X TM Fire Extinguisher, an organic water-based solution that quenches lithium battery fires upwards of 1,600 degrees within seconds, while instantly transforming black smoke, thus preventing hydrogen, methane and chlorine gases from being produced and released into the environment.
Additionally, when the fire is completely extinguished, PACT Lion-XTM only leaves behind a fine powder residue, which continues to cool surfaces and is easily washed off with a wet cloth or paper towel. Further, unlike other chemical-based solutions, PACT Lion-X TM is designed to be used without personal protective equipment (PPE) and is safe to wash and flush into sewers, streams and other waterways.
“We are very proud that our products save first responders, transportation professionals, waste management engineers and the general public, all while protecting the environment,” adds Mort. “We know that our green and sustainable safety solutions will be a game-changer in preserving the planet now and into the future.”
For more information about PACT’s environmental-enhancing product line, please visit: www.pactthermoshield.com or www.pactlionx.com.
