A kinetic expression for the chemical reaction of lithium metal with thionyl chloride is presented that is consistent with calorimetric measurements of the heat generation from a thionyl chloride cell. The kinetics expression is incorporated into a well-established electrochemical model for the discharge behavior, and then used to estimate the life of the battery under an intermittent discharge so as to assess the importance of lithium corrosion. The model predicts that, under the conditions examined, there is no danger of depleting the lithium anode and so introducing a safety hazard. Published by Elsevier B.V.