Smartphones: why do they crack mobiles? Will it burst mine?

We have heard too many times about sudden smartphone explosions. Of course, if these news always impress, these accidents are extremely rare, but also difficult to understand.

Why do smartphones explode? How do I know my phone will not explode?

Smartphones

Every time a lithium-ion battery explodes or gets fire, there is a process called heat escape from the thermal runaway. This process may be a little difficult to understand, so we will try to explain it simply without scientific terminology.

Lithium ion batteries contain lithium ion cells. Each of these cells also has a critical temperature - think of it as a critical boiling point.

When a critical cell temperature is reached (due to external heat, overload, damage or poor manufacturing), it enters into exothermic breakdown. Basically, the cell itself starts releasing very high heat.

This initiates the thermal escape process. Once a cell enters into exothermic decay and releases heat, its neighboring cells will also raise their own critical temperatures. Depending on the speed of this process, a battery it could burn "quietly", catch fire or create a small explosion.

Now that we understand the process of thermal leakage, it is much easier to track how, when, and why smartphones (or other Li-ion devices) explode.

Do not leave your phone in the car

If you live in a snowy area, you probably know that car batteries work best when they are a little hot - say 26 ℃. You may also know that very high heat can damage a battery, along with other components in a car. The same goes for phone batteries.

When a lithium-ion battery is at high temperature (in a car), its cells may be unsteady.

They may not exothermically decompose, but they can be permanently damaged, causing slowness, producing gases (!) Such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. These gases can cause the battery to inflate (like a balloon), which creates pressure (energy that can cause an explosion) or damage the battery structure.

Of course, this process can be accelerated if a battery is charged Li-ion while being at a high outdoor temperature. That is why most phones will stop the charging process or automatically turn off when it's too hot.

Let's say that your phone will probably not explode if you forget it in a hot car for a day. Pressure build-up can lead to thermal leakage, but it usually causes mechanical damage to the battery before it explodes. In addition, lithium-ion telephones and batteries incorporate certain security features that prevent a problem from being magnified by disabling the device.

Use reliable or certified charging devices

In general, any charger can charge your device. An old or cheap micro-USB cable can charge newer phones, and a new charger works with older devices.

However, you should use reliable chargers or chargers certified by your phone manufacturer.

Cheap or non-certified chargers (especially wireless chargers) can overheat and damage a phone's battery. This damage usually results in "bubbles" in your phone battery. Again, the damage can be fixed by the phone itself before an explosion occurs.

So do not worry, a cheap charger will not "overcharge" your phone (although this can undoubtedly cause an explosion). Smartphones have built-in voltage limiters that will prevent overcharging or charging that is "too fast" and can not handle a battery.

Using a good charger for your phone will save you from adventures. 

Do not bend your phone

When a lithium-ion battery is physically damaged, it may short-circuit, create gas or explode on the spot. Unless you separate your phone or break it for fun, this is not an issue to worry about. When you drop a phone, important parts such as the screen will usually break before the battery fails.

Why is this happening; Well, lithium-ion batteries contain a thin sheet of lithium and a thin sheet of oxygen. An electrolyte solution separates these two sheets. When this solution breaks or pierces, the layers of lithium and oxygen react, which causes exothermic breakdown and thermal leakage.

In some cases, this can happen when replacing a phone's battery. Poor installation or bending of a Li-ion battery can cause mechanical damage or fire (either immediately or over time). Recently, a woman's iPhone fell off when replacing the battery in an unofficial repair shop.

Also, do not worry about smartphone batteries for plaque. You can avoid an explosion, but you can not save the toxic gas released by a lithium-ion battery that burns or smokes.

Most phone blasts are due to poor construction

Although an explosion is always dangerous, batteries, rarely cause fires or explosions.

Lithium-ion batteries, however, contain lithium, an incredibly unstable metal. This instability is great for storing and transporting electricity, but it can be devastating if mixed with other unsuitable metals. Unfortunately, lithium-ion batteries should also contain nickel, cobalt and graphite.

Poor assembly may cause problems. Like a car, lithium-ion batteries are made up of several pieces and a bad fit can cause great problems. Friction generates heat, and can cause short circuits and other mechanical problems in a very short time.

Relax, your phone will probably not explode

During the explosions of Galaxy Note 7, explosions at 90 to 100 Notes 7. This is less than the 1% of 2,5 million Note 7 sold by Samsung in stores. Certainly, Samsung's global recall probably helped but it is clear that phone blasts are extremely rare.

That said, beware of explosive smartphones. Avoid buying phones that are new and untested, and do a quick Google search for "explosive news" before you get a new device.

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Written by giorgos

George still wonders what he's doing here ...

One Comment

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  1. Yesterday, while trying to remove a battery in iPhone 6s, the battery caught fire… There was no explosion but it smoked for about 5 minutes. Fill the house with smoke. And until I opened the windows I inhaled enough smoke. When it was all over I was worried and searched the internet for answers about whether the smoke I inhaled for several minutes was dangerous since I did not leave the house. Finally, I would like to mention that by inserting the new battery, the mobile phone works normally! Do I throw it away or do I use it normally? Thanks.

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