Cellphone & Laptop Battery Explosion – Reasons and Prevention

You must have heard about battery explosions in laptops, cell phones, and even other gadgets. Did you ever think you might be playing with a bomb waiting to explode? Of phones and laptops, the latter is a little more dangerous though both will be a bad experience when their cells explode. Generally, they don’t, but they may if you do not handle them properly. This article will talk about laptop battery explosions. The reason and tips also apply to secure cellphone batteries as the main reasons behind unwanted behavior and dangers of a lithium-ion battery are often the same.

Can a laptop battery explode?

The smallest part of a battery is a cell. Consider it a capacitor that stores energy as you charge it. A laptop battery varies in the number of cells. The more the cells, the more backup you get. Probably, more cells would also mean more time for a full charge. We will talk about reducing the chances of a laptop battery in a while. First, let us look at the reasons why laptops and cellphone batteries explode.

Laptop Battery Explosion – Reasons

The first and most important reason why laptop batteries explode (or smartphone ones) is some sort of fault with the battery. To understand what could be the fault, you need to understand how the Lithium (Li) Ion battery works. We won’t get into Physics here – rather will explore the topic in general detail.

Laptop battery fires are typically caused by overheating, internal short circuits, or physical damage. Manufacturing defects can lead to spontaneous fires, especially during charging. Proper handling and using recommended chargers can minimize the risk of such incidents and ensure battery safety.

There are different types of batteries, of which, the popular rechargeable ones are either Acid-base or Lithium-Ion batteries. You will find an Acid-based battery in cars, vehicles, etc. They are heavy boxes with acid and electrodes in them. The Lithium-Ion batteries are more compact and have one electrode and an anode with suspended electrons in the form of liquid.

An electrode is a plate representing the source or propagator of a negative (-ve) charge, and the anode represents a positive (+ve) charge. We all know that the electricity distribution system is built upon electrons moving from –ve to +ve nodes. The positive nodes, in almost all cases, are the contact points where you plug in your gadgets. In the case of laptops and smartphones, they are the only open points that can be seen when you remove the battery – generally copper or silver-plated for a longer and better contact life. For information on Lithium batteries, please check out Wikipedia or similar websites.

As explained above, there is a minimum of three cells in a laptop battery and the number can go up to 12. I have not yet heard of a laptop battery that has more than 12 cells. Anyway, when you are using the laptop on a battery, electrons flow from the –ve side of cells to the positive side (the contact points), thereby providing power to it. Similarly, when you are charging the battery, electrons are sent back to the electrode points to prepare the battery for consumption.

Plenty of factors come into play here – overcharging, over-discharging, unwanted carbon build-up, etc. A Lithium battery, though looks simple from the outside, has built-in mechanisms to disconnect from the device and adjacent cells in case of overcharging, etc. A faulty laptop battery is one that would not provide such mechanisms to protect the cells from overcharging etc. This is just to give you an idea of why companies have recalled products in the past saying the batteries are defective. They are missing one or more such precaution mechanisms.

Among other reasons why a laptop battery can explode is mishandling – you probably drop it somewhere and the alignment of the electrode plus anode is disturbed. This, in turn, will change the alignment of electrons in the cells, which may create overheating – a known factor that explodes batteries.

Old laptop batteries can pose a fire hazard due to potential chemical deterioration or damage to the battery’s structure, leading to short-circuiting. It’s crucial to dispose of them properly and follow the manufacturer’s guidance to prevent injury or fire risks. Always recycle them at certified e-waste centers.

Another reason can be the atmosphere where you are using the laptop. If it is humid and hot enough, it will make a good case for a short circuit that – in turn – will result in overheating and, hence, explosion.

There is no dearth of reasons why laptop batteries explode. The same applies to cellphone batteries. The Laptop batteries damage more compared to cellphones as they contain more than one cell. Thus, if one cell is overheated and explodes, it will trigger a sequence of blasts where each subsequent explosion would be more dangerous.

If your laptop bursts into flames, rather than throwing water, use a fire extinguisher.

PCPitStop created conditions where the Li-ION battery pack would explode inside a generic portable. Watch the video.

Laptop Battery Explosion – Prevention

The only answer for the prevention of laptop battery explosion is proper maintenance. People tend to neglect batteries as they tend to look like simple parts and that carry a pretty safe measure of voltage. But since their design is complicated, simple negligence can trigger off an explosion.

Check out how you are using your laptop. Do you keep it plugged in always – even when away? Though it is fine most of the time, it is not advisable if you are to stay away from the laptop for longer times. I recommend the use of a power stabilizer between your laptop plug and the mains. It need not be heavy and expensive equipment. Just a power strip with an appropriate fuse would do. That way, if a higher voltage burst comes along, at most, the fuse will go and your laptop will disconnect from the mains. If you are going to be away for a longer time – remove the laptop battery and keep it in a dry place.

If you have the habit of forgetting or leaving the laptop on overnight, I would suggest setting up a hibernate time so that it auto-shuts down after saving your computer state. I often fall asleep while taking breaks and hence have set up hibernate to 40 minutes. If I don’t return back to the computer, it turns itself off. That way, I save both on energy and on the possibility of any unwanted action.

TIP: These Laptop cooling software may interest you.

If your battery is considerably old, you should replace it. If you cannot, for some reason, I would advise you to remove the battery and run the laptop on the direct power supply. Older batteries tend to take in more power and can overheat in no time. Continuing with an old and exhausted battery is dangerous. If you are not sure about the health of your battery, Windows 7 and above tell you if you need to replace it. You can also use the battery health checker or battery maintenance software provided by the manufacturer of your laptop. Some third-party software exists that helps you determine the health of your battery. If interested, please read Laptop Battery Optimization Guide on The Windows Club.

Summary

Laptop batteries are always a danger, as are other products such as a pressure cooker etc. Your safety depends on how you use them. The only mantra to stay safe is to handle your gadgets with care. For more information on using batteries, please refer to the product manual pertaining to your product.