X-rays reveal inflated air cushion inside exploding phone battery

X-ray images show the phone battery bulging and ready to explode due to the pillow-like gas buildup inside.

X-ray image of the inside of a lithium-ion battery. Photo: Canadian Light Source.

When using technologyCT scanhigh energy x-rays to look at the processes taking place inside the batterylithium-ion,Toby Bond and colleagues at the Canadian Light Source physics research facility discovered the culprit that makes these batteries prone to explosions.according toNew Scientist.

Lithium-ion batteries typically contain electrodes rolled up in a spiral to accommodate the most electricity-generating layers, Bond said. However, the multilayer design can be dangerous if gas forms inside.

Gas can build up if the battery is overheated or overcharged, or left discharged for long periods of time. Under these conditions, the liquid components in the battery can evaporate and form gas. This causes the outer shell of the battery to swell, resulting in a distinctive pillow-like shape.

“The battery can swell a little and continue to function, swell a lot and stop functioning, or continue to produce gas, leading to an explosion or fire,” Bond said. The swelling is easy to spot from the outside appearance of the battery, but many users may not be aware of the gas inside.

As the gas builds up, the electrode layers appear to warp and separate. Improvements in manufacturing could make lithium-ion batteries more durable, Bond says. But the team isn’t sure whether the swelling process is present in the phones that have recently caught fire.

Bond stresses that the best way to protect lithium-ion batteries is to avoid overheating them. "Stop playing games on your phone for hours on end and give your tablet a break instead of watching movies on a nine-hour flight," Bond says.

According to VNE