Research Article

Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells

Volume: 14 Number: 4 October 23, 2026
EN TR

Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells

Abstract

Thermal runaway is a critical safety concern in lithium-ion batteries, particularly because cathode chemistry and state of charge directly influence the severity of thermal abuse behavior. The present study performs a multivariate statistical analysis of thermal abuse behavior for commercial 21700-format cylindrical cells for five state-of-charge (SOC) levels (0%, 30%, 60%, 80%, 100%) and cathode chemistries (LFP, NMC, NCA-HEI, NCA-HEII, NCA-HP) using accelerating rate calorimetry data. The extracted thermal metrics are maximum temperature, thermal runaway onset temperature, self-heating onset temperature, and maximum heating rate. Two-way ANOVA with partial eta-squared (η_p^2) effect sizes assert significant main effects of SOC and chemistry, alongside a dominant chemistry and SOC interaction for thermal runaway onset temperature (η_p^2 = 0.99, p < 0.001). Non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis tests confirm the parametric findings, indicating robustness to distributional assumptions. A novel data-driven Thermal Risk Index (TRI) is developed employing principal component analysis-derived weights, with the first two principal components together explaining 94.1% of the total variance. The TRI shows a moderate monotonic dependence on SOC (Spearman's ρ = 0.480, p < 0.001), supporting its physical interpretation. Under fully charged conditions, NCA-HEI cells show the highest mean TRI (78.6), markedly exceeding LFP (33.4), a 2.4-fold difference between the most and least hazardous chemistries. These results quantify the chemistry-dependent safety hierarchy under operational extremes and propose an interpretable framework for comparative thermal risk assessment.

Keywords

Accelerating rate calorimetry, Cathode chemistry, Lithium-ion battery, State of charge, Thermal Risk Index

Supporting Institution

This research received no external funding.

Ethical Statement

This study does not involve human or animal participants. All procedures followed scientific and ethical principles, and all referenced studies are appropriately cited.

Thanks

The author does not wish to acknowledge any individual or institution.

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APA
Öztürk Kırkar, M. (2026). Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology, 14(4), 1163-1175. https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1967576
AMA
1.Öztürk Kırkar M. Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells. DUBİTED. 2026;14(4):1163-1175. doi:10.29130/dubited.1967576
Chicago
Öztürk Kırkar, Merve. 2026. “Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells”. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology 14 (4): 1163-75. https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1967576.
EndNote
Öztürk Kırkar M (October 1, 2026) Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology 14 4 1163–1175.
IEEE
[1]M. Öztürk Kırkar, “Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells”, DUBİTED, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 1163–1175, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.29130/dubited.1967576.
ISNAD
Öztürk Kırkar, Merve. “Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells”. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology 14/4 (October 1, 2026): 1163-1175. https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1967576.
JAMA
1.Öztürk Kırkar M. Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells. DUBİTED. 2026;14:1163–1175.
MLA
Öztürk Kırkar, Merve. “Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells”. Duzce University Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 14, no. 4, Oct. 2026, pp. 1163-75, doi:10.29130/dubited.1967576.
Vancouver
1.Merve Öztürk Kırkar. Statistical Analysis of Cathode Chemistry and State-of-Charge Effects on Thermal Runaway Behavior of Type 21700 Lithium-Ion Cells. DUBİTED. 2026 Oct. 1;14(4):1163-75. doi:10.29130/dubited.1967576