Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Risk

Lithium-ion batteries are becoming very popular all over the world. Their utility in so many devices and gadgets like tablets, laptops, smartphones, airplanes, and electric vehicles are making them more than useful in the present times. But the associated risk of fire from the lithium-ion batteries is making them problematic. All you have to do is to keep in mind why this happens so that you can avoid such situation while using them. Here, in this article, we will be sharing with you the risks or dangers of using lithium-ion batteries and how you can put out a lithium-ion battery fire.

How do lithium-ion batteries work?

All the lithium-ion batteries that are under use in any kind of device or gadget includes the same working principle. It is very important that you know the details of how it worked in order to know the details of how it can explode and catch fire. This basic knowledge will help you a lot in this, and this is how you can prevent any such situation while using it.

So, basically, the lithium-ion batteries are made with a simple circuit in which there are a positively charged cathode and a negatively charged anode. These two electrodes are separated from each other with the help of a separator that is usually made with the plastic material. The purpose of this separator is that it prevents the touching between the cathode and the node while the current is passing through it. When the potential is applied by switching on the electric board, the electricity starts to run in this circuit and then starts to recharge the battery with the running lithium ions from cathode towards anode. This is the normal and basic working principle of lithium-ion batteries that are helping them working in so much efficiency that they have become part of almost all the devices and gadgets.

Can lithium-ion batteries catch fire?

The lithium-ion batteries can catch fire and this is a very common incident that is happening these days, and one of the biggest risks of using them. Here we will be sharing with you the reasons why this happens. There are a lot of factors behind this, but we will be sharing on the top ones that are most common among all.

1.When you put the device or gadget on the charge, you leave it for hours and hours to charge due to which it becomes overcharged. Also, sometimes, you wait for the battery to doe itself before you put it on charge, So, in that case, the battery gets heated, in both cases, and then explodes to cause fire. This is none of the biggest and the most common reason why the lithium-ion batteries catch fire.

2.Sometimes, when your battery stops to run in the forward direction, that is from the cathode to anode and rather start to move electrons from anode to cathode, then again, the explosion can occur. So, you have to keep a check on this too because it is also one of the main reasons why it catches fire.

3.One more reason is that you put it in the high-temperature places like the hot rooms with direct sunlight in it, the hot vehicles, etc. These places heat the battery up and then a sudden explosion occurs. So, try to avoid this too.

4.Another very common reason why lithium-ion batteries catch fire is that they are placed along with the electronic devices that might help it explode by catching fire very easily. So, you have to keep in mind that they should be placed separately from each other to avoid any such event happening in your surroundings.

So, these are some of the reason why the lithium-ion batteries catch fire and you must know about them to avoid any such event.

How dangerous lithium-ion battery fire?

Well, fire is always dangerous no matter where it is coming from and what is the reason behind it. You have to keep yourself safe from it no matter what. However, if we specifically talk about the lithium-ion batteries fire, then we can say that it is a bot ore dangerous than the other type of fire sources because it is made with lithium and run by the movement of the lithium-ions in the electrode system of the battery. Any explosion can immediately cause a very sharp fire that spreads very easily in the surroundings. Also, the solution of calming it down is not simple like putting water on it, rather it takes a solution of foam and water to calm it down which usually people do not know about. So, it takes time to arrange it, and in the meantime the fire may catch so many things or people in the surroundings. The lithium-ion batteries when catch fire can be very dangerous and deadly for you and the people or things in its surroundings.

How do you put out a lithium-ion battery fire?

Well, there are so many ways in which you can put out the lithium-ion batteries fire, but that should be done with great care. If we talk about the simple and small explosions of lithium-ion batteries, then they are easy to handle just like any other fire, but if the explosion is large, then simple water cannot do the job. You have to use a mixture of water with foam, carbon dioxide, graphite, soda, etc. This mixture can only help in saving you and your surroundings from the deadly consequences of the lithium-ion batteries. If you would try to calm it down with simple water, then the fire can become worse which can lead to more problems for you by using it.

Conclusion

The lithium-ion batteries have wide applications in almost all the innovative gadgets of the present time. You can prevent their use, and help yourself stay safe is by knowing the risk of fire through it when it explodes. The above-mentioned description is all about the details of lithium-ion batteries associated risks which you should learn and then be aware of them while using them.