Analysis Of Lithium Battery Fire Risk

The lithium batteries are present in all electronic devices we use every day, such as phones, tablets or laptops. These batteries are usually completely safe, but sometimes they usually fail. A proof of its fragility is that any transport box that carries a battery must specify it.

Lithium is very sensitive, but it is the best material we currently have for batteries, but it is the best material we currently have for batteries. In the last two years, we have seen several cases where batteries have generated problems in various devices, both at the level of degradation, as explosion or loss of performance. Their creation process is quite complex, and it is their own capacity to store energy that makes them dangerous.

In the last two years, we have seen several cases where batteries have generated problems in various devices, such as mobile or laptops, both at the level of degradation, as explosion or loss of performance. Their creation process is quite complex, and it is their own capacity to store energy that makes them dangerous.

Lithium is the material chosen to make batteries because of its high capacity to store energy. While this is being delivered little by little to the device and stably (through a controller included in the battery itself), there are no complications. The problem is when that energy is suddenly released when a short circuit is generated since it is generally what causes it to explode.

The Lithium is the material of choice for high capacity batteries to store energy. While this is being delivered little by little to the device and stably (through a controller included in the battery itself), there are no complications. The problem is when that energy is suddenly released when a short circuit is generated since it is generally what causes it to explode.

Lithium-ion batteries have a cathode and an anode from which charged molecules of lithium move, generating energy. For the energy to flow, the batteries use a flammable organic liquid called electrolyte, as well as a porous material called a separator, which prevents the cathode and anode from coming into contact. Otherwise, a short circuit would occur.

Part 1: What Is The Reason They Can Explode?

Normally the anode and the cathode are separated. The separator is a permeable membrane that allows the movement of the ions through the battery between the anode and the cathode. If they come into contact, the battery starts to overheat, and that is what causes it to explode.

This explosion can occur for several reasons:

·Bad Design Or Manufacturing Defects: In this case, there may not be enough space for the electrodes and separators in the battery. As soon as the battery expands slightly when charged, the electrodes bend and may cause a short circuit.

·External Factors: Extreme heat or cold can cause the batteries to fail. If the batteries are near an extreme heat source, they may explode. If the phone falls out many times it is also possible that the separator is damaged and the electrodes touch. If you pierce it and it comes in contact with air or water, you will automatically generate a short circuit and explode.

·Charger In Poor Condition: A Chinese charger of poor quality, with poor insulation, can cause damage to the battery. In addition, if the charging process generates too much heat in the mobile, it can lead to damage to the battery.

·Domino Effect Due To The Failure Of A Cell: With only one cell being damaged, a domino effect is generated that damages the rest of the battery in its entirety. Something like this happened in the first units of the Tesla Model S, where the batteries were not well insulated from the ground, and small stones in the road could perforate them, causing the rest of the batteries to explode.

Currently, the process of creating batteries is exceptionally safe, and methodical tests are carried out to prevent them from exploding. Looking ahead, the batteries will still be much more reliable, especially when solid-state batteries arrive in the coming years, which, in addition to being safer, can store a more significant load.

Part 2: Lithium Battery Fire Hazard:

Overheating or tampering is the ultimate cause of the explosion, but the root of the problem lies in a bad design of the device in which the battery is placed. As it could have happened to the Samsung 7, in deficient manufacturing of the same, in an error of the software that regulates the loading process or in a failure in the quality controls.

If the mobile or any other device is well designed, it should not have any problem. Who thinks that sometimes you can risk too much. Every time we want more energy in less space and for less money, but there are limits.

The materials with which lithium batteries are made are not particularly delicate in the classical sense. Yes, they are flammable, but not to the point of having to take special care. At least at room temperature.

However, this changes radically with temperature and overvoltage. When a lithium battery is overheated, the complex chemical system inside it begins to form bubbles of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases.

Part 3: Lithium Battery Fire Suppression:

The inside of a battery contains electrodes rolled on them, to make the most of the space. It is in these electrodes that the chemical reactions that allow the transport of electrons to take place.

And it is also where reactions occur at certain temperatures that cause the appearance of gases. The gases occupy a growing space, increasing the pressure of the battery to the point where it cannot stand anymore. Then, it cracks, and the gas starts to come out, very, very hot, with the rest of the components dragged.

At these temperatures, these components, protected inside the battery, burn. In addition, by not having the spatial constriction of the cells, the entire interior expands violently, which can result in the explosion of the battery.