Don’t Blame The Batteries For Every Lithium-Ion Explosion

By Tim Moynihan for WIRED. Lithium-ion batteries have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The latest marquee moment involved a pair of exploding headphones on a plane. That incendiary incident came hot on the heels of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 (double) recall and major issues with “hoverboard” batteries. You can’t chalk it all up to incompetence, either. Even rocket scientists have trouble keeping lithium-ion batteries in check. By nature, lithium-ion batteries are dangerous. Inside, the main line of defense against short circuiting is a thin and porous slip of polypropylene that keeps the electrodes from touching. If that separator is breached, the electrodes come in contact, and things get very hot very quickly. The batteries are also filled with a flammable electrolyte, one that can combust when it heats up, then really get going once oxygen hits it. Not scary enough? That liquid is mixed with a compound that can burn your skin. RELATED: How Lithium-Ion Batteries Turn Into Skin-Searing Firebombs So why even use them? Lithium-ion batteries are incredibly efficient. They stuff freakish amounts of energy in a tiny package, one that can keep a phone or laptop running all day. Li-ion power cells are also a very mature technology. The first rechargeable lithium-ion batteries were used in Sony’s Handycams more than 25 years ago, and now there are dozens of battery suppliers around the world. If you’re making a camera, car, plane, or fitness tracker, inclu...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news