Safety concerns of lithium ion batteries have been the key problems in their practical applications. Trimethyl phosphite (TMP(i)) and trimethyl phosphate (TMP(a)) were used as the electrolyte additives to improve the safety and electrochemical performance of lithium cells. Gallvanostatic cell cycling, flammability test and thermal stability measurements by means of accelerated rate calorimeter (ARC) and micro calorimeter were performed. It is found that both TMP(i) and TMP(a) reduce the flammability of the electrolyte. The TMP(i) additive not only enhances the thermal stability of the electrolyte, but also improves its electrochemical performance. The TMP(a) additive can improve the thermal stability of the electrolyte at the expense of some degree of degradation of its electrochemical performance. Therefore, TMP(i) is a better flame retardant additive in the electrolyte compared with TMP(a). (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.