We are all in danger, each of us contains at home (in our pocket, at work) portable bombs that can cause serious harm, even death. But the point is all in the dangerous technology of battery assembly , which has become the standard for the whole world and does not scare society at all.
Lithium ion battery
Today we all use a lot of different devices and technical innovations based on lithium-ion batteries. This is a type of electric battery that differs from other similar energy carriers in its versatility, high energy density and unpretentiousness in terms of maintenance.
Despite their positive characteristics, such batteries pose a certain threat. Batteries of this type can explode, damage or destroy property and, even worse, cause serious harm to health or even cause death.
Nevertheless, lithium-ion batteries are widespread in various areas of human life. A similar type of energy can be found in cars, airplanes, and most importantly, in smartphones and tablets, which most people use daily, on an ongoing basis. Roughly speaking, as was said above, the whole of modern society carries explosive devices with it, which can be activated in the event of a mistake, by unlucky chance, or because of the negligence of the manufacturer.
Possible causes of battery explosion
Lithium batteries are time-tested and are considered relatively safe if you follow all the manufacturer's recommendations, but how often does anyone at least be interested in the instructions? Any violation can lead to sad consequences. For example, a sharp change in temperature, which is one of the most common reasons why batteries fail. In this case, the lithium-ion battery begins to produce gas, the battery becomes much puffier, in rare cases, leakage can be detected. Both one and the other symptom are the reason for the immediate termination of the use of the device, disconnecting the battery and its proper disposal. In addition to changing thermal conditions, there are a number of other common causes leading to battery explosion, which should be emphasized.
Physical Exposure and Handicraft Repair
Any damage, bending, or impact may cause the battery to overheat, which will inevitably result in an explosion. The same goes for punctures, which often accompany repair work.
"Jack of all trades" often resort to repairing everything and everything, without turning to professionals for help. Perhaps the new experience is even great, people develop their skills and save money, but when it comes to lithium batteries, you should forget about your "skill", because it is impossible to disassemble and repair lithium-ion batteries. The same applies to small "tents" located in shopping centers and responsible for the repair of various kinds of electronics.
Overdischarge and wear
No matter how ironic it may sound, but even if you leave the lithium-ion battery alone, it still remains dangerous, since it can use up a critical mass of charge. Usually in such cases, the battery simply fails and ceases to function, but human stupidity courage has no limits. Many attempts have been recorded to restore a fully discharged battery to life by simply putting it on charge (with or without a functioning device). And in either case, the battery may close, instantly warm up to the combustion temperature and ignite.
Just as an old cabinet can fall apart at any time, an old battery can overheat. As it is used, it wears out, loses in volume, certain parts are damaged. The time will come, and physical changes in the battery will require replacement.
Galaxy Note 7 scandal
The most global battery collapse (on the mobile device market) occurred in 2016, along with the release of a smartphone from Samsung. Until now, the cult date, the explosion of the phone’s battery was perceived as a rare, unlikely accident. In the summer of 2016, when during the week the media reported more than 35 cases of explosions of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, everything changed.
Note 7, by the way, was perceived very positively, the device appealed to absolutely everyone, but, trying to overtake competitors, Samsung miscalculated and was seriously substituted. By early September, officials from the Korean company announced that they were launching a global campaign to return defective gadgets. Phones offered to exchange for the same model, but supposedly from a new batch. Within a couple of days, the situation repeated itself in a new fashion. People began to contact Samsung more often, cars began to burn, property deteriorated, people suffered serious burns. At some point, the Koreans surrendered, deciding to stop selling and assembling the phone.
Causes of Galaxy Note 7 Issues
More than half a year later, as of January 2017, the company did not give any clear comments on the incident. Many analysts and people familiar with the company's operations say that the company's engineers are unable to reproduce the explosion in the laboratory.
Independent organizations are inclined to believe that the explosion is due to problems with the power controller. The complex (dense) design of the smartphone, including a curved display, provoked the contact of two parts of the battery: the cathode and the anode, which, in turn, led to excessive heating. A lithium battery always strives to increase the temperature, this is normal, but the manufacturer had to make sure that at some point, the smartphone was deprived of power. Unfortunately, it did not happen. And, no matter how accurate the users were with their Samsung, the explosion of the battery has become a massive problem that affects everyone without exception.
Company implications
To understand what this incident turned out for the company, it is enough to put yourself in their place. What will the consumer think of a product that has suddenly become a laughing stock and a threat to life? Most likely, he will avoid. But one thing is the reputation that exists today, tomorrow is not, and the day after tomorrow there is again, another thing is the real facts. The company suffered losses, and quite serious and tangible for the mobile unit - 22 billion dollars. The phones were remotely unable to charge to avoid further explosions.
At the moment, the phone is not being produced, the company is conducting an investigation and can only hope that the explosion of the Samsung Note 7 battery will serve the Koreans as a lesson that will make them stronger.
IPhone Explosions
Despite its special position in the smartphone market and the minimal level of defect, even an “apple” smartphone can turn into an impromptu bomb. One of the most recent cases was the explosion of a new product from Apple, the iPhone 7 smartphone, which one of the fans allegedly ordered on the Internet, and received an already blown up gadget.
There was no evidence of spontaneous fire of the iPhone, and this case was attributed to the usual inflation of rumors. Fortunately for owners of fresh California smartphones, the iPhone battery explosion was just one of the few to be caused by improper use (in this case, excessive physical impact) rather than a massive problem.
Other reported cases of iPhone explosions were the result of a short circuit due to the use of a third-party charger .
How to avoid an explosion?
The simplest thing that any user can do is look at least once in a lifetime in the instructions and find out how dangerous the battery is in the smartphone, and what care it requires.
You should always strictly observe the temperature regime, do not leave the smartphone in direct sunlight for too long. You can’t remove the battery yourself in smartphones where this option is not provided by the manufacturer (we are talking about gadgets with a monolithic case).
Give preference to devices that have at least some name, time-tested, avoid impulsive acquisition of the most "top" new products.
The main thing is to understand that the explosion of a lithium battery is real and very dangerous, if possible, do not leave the gadgets on charge unattended, who knows at what point the technologies will fail and a fire will occur.
What's next?
Now in terms of technology, lithium batteries are the cheapest, while the most energy-efficient option for mobile devices and other electronics. Naturally, this type of battery is still a priority.
Replacing lithium batteries may come with nuclear batteries. Despite its terrible name, this type of battery is completely harmless to humans, and the gadget will allow you to live on a single charge many times longer than now. Unfortunately, development in this area is rather slow, and no progress should be expected in the near future. Perhaps the explosion of the Samsung Note 7 battery will not be in vain and will force engineers working in the field of information technology to hurry.