Acetonitrile is used as electrolyte in some EV batteries and most EV supercapacitors. It is a very nasty substance, being volatile, flammable, carcinogenic and, according to recent research causes birth defects. At eCarTec lecturer Dr Philippe Sonntag Director E-Green Hutchison SA in France, a company of TOTAL, revealed more.
He ran through calculations, using data from supercapacitor manufacturer Ioxus, that showed that a large supercapacitor leaking and burning, in the air volume of a typical garage, can kill by cyanide related poisoning. He confirmed what we had been told by Japanese suppliers Nichicon and Nippon ChemiCon that the Japanese are voluntarily making only "safe" aqueous supercapacitors.
His company is about to do the same, making it, on our count, the 79th supercapacitor manufacturer in the world. Afterwards he told us that he will concentrate on the flat rectangular "prismatic" construction, prioritising automotive applications.
