Prevention is Better Than Cure- The Battery

Though the title may suggest that you have somehow managed to make your way across to a site discussing about medical stuff, you can be least assured that you are still on the official BLOG of The Tech Busters.

Smartphones,

the modern telecommunication devices which have significantly transformed our lives, giving a whole new definition to the word phone.But how safe are we using them?? In the recent past we had heard about the radiation from these wonderful devices affecting our Nervous Systems. But now we've come to know that these devices can actually explode. Not an explosion to wipe off a community, but definitely an explosion great enough to injure you seriously if not kill you!!

First we had a Samsung smartphone explode in Dubai and the incidents in Switzerland and Abu Dhabi where smartphone owners reported their phones catching fire and a few days ago it was the turn of a Hong Kong resident, where a Galaxy S4 caught fire and subsequently burned down his entire apartment!! While the stories mount and Samsung investigates we thought we'd take a quick look at the reasons why a battery might flame on and let you know how to avoid your phone becoming a really expensive cigarette lighter.

Please note that we do not intend to scare you but we wish to ensure that you take enough precautions to avoid such circumstances.To begin with, it is important for us to keep in mind that the chances of any electronic device exploding or catching fire, be it a smartphone, clock radio or tablet are very slim and typically only occur in events where there are serious flaws in product assembly or in the even more unlikely scenario that there is a product design flaw. It is not just one factor which causes these modern Tech stuffs to explode but a variety of such issues which causes these 207th bone of your body to become potential killers.

But before we start giving you methods to prevent these devices from exploding, having dedicated the past 4-5 years of our lives to Science, we take it as our responsibility to explain to you why such stuff even happens.

Lighter, less expensive and more energy dense than other secondary battery technologies, lithium-ion has become the dominant form of rechargeable battery today. It powers everything from mobile phones and laptops to cars and commercial jets. But there is one little problem—these batteries don't just short circuit, they explode into flames.If overheated or overcharged, Li-ion batteries may suffer thermal runaway and cell rupture. In extreme cases this can lead to combustion. Deep discharge may short-circuit the cell, in which case recharging would be unsafe. However, the chances for this to happen are very minute as these lithium-ion battery packs contain fail-safe circuitry that shuts down the battery when its voltage is outside the safe range and undergo various stages of test to ensure that they meet their safety requirement.

Then why do they EXPLODE??

If the battery gets hot enough to ignite the electrolyte, you are going to get a fire.When a fire like this happens, it is usually caused by an internal short in the battery. Since lithium-ion batteries are so energetic, they get very hot. The heat causes the battery to vent the organic solvent used as an electrolyte, and the heat (or a nearby spark) can light it. Once that happens inside one of the cells, the heat of the fire cascades to the other cells and the whole pack goes up in flames. Or in simple words, The devices tended to explode and cause severe damages if improperly handled, compromised due to an unauthorized repair or powered up with the use of fake chargers.It is a widely believed misconception that even inexpensive batteries manufactured by unknown companies are just as reliable as those produced by original leading market brands. However this is not true. As mobile phone batteries progressively become thinner to accommodate the ever changing slim design needs of smartphones, the space in the battery available to keep the negative and positive plate’s apart similarly simultaneously decreases. What this means is that, if batteries are not made up to standard and something happens to come between the two plates which are typically separated by an increasingly thin separator, then chances of battery explosions or flame ups basically increase when such batteries are put under high levels of stress via overcharging.Manufactures that follow all the right guidelines and procedures in their battery production process generally produce safe long lasting products; however some manufactures opt to cut corners with the aim of cutting costs, undercutting completion and making higher profits – an action that obviously leads to dangerous outcomes.
In some cases, the user may not even exist to cure these outcomes. But, we can surely prevent this by following the given Preventive Measures.

Prevention:

1. Always go for original manufacturer battery brands and phone accessories or in case where unavailable, well know replacement brands.

2. DO Not leave your device in a hot place particularly when it is charging since doing so only contributes to making overheating issues worse.

3. NEVER USE THE PHONE WHILE ITS CHARGING!

4. Ensure you charge and use your device in a well-ventilated area if using while it charges.

5.Don't use chargers or batteries that aren't designed to work with a particular phone. Users should be particularly wary of knock-offs and counterfeit accessories. 

6.And surprisingly, charging your battery once it hits 50% is actually a good thing. Li-ion batteries don't suffer from memory issues like some batteries, but they can be damaged by low-voltage.

And Finally a Few Tips from Duracell:



1. Don't store batteries in the refrigerator or freezer. Batteries are best kept in a dry place at normal room temperature. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat or cold can reduce battery life and/or quality. Allowing cold batteries to slowly warm up to normal room temperature (10C-25C) should restore normal operation.

2. Be prepared with spare batteries for important occasions. Do you really want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity because you don't have spare batteries for your camera? Buy batteries with the longest freshness date available, and use those on hand with the closest freshness date first.

3. Replace all your device's batteries at the same time. Mixing old and new batteries, or batteries of different types or brands, in a device can lead to battery leakage and device damage.

4. Be sure to align your battery's positive (+) and negative (-) terminals correctly when inserting them into a device. Some devices may appear to work properly if one battery is inserted incorrectly, but this can lead to battery leakage or rupture.

5. Remove batteries from a device when it is not expected to be in use for several months. Batteries should also be removed from equipment while it is being powered by household (AC) current.

6. Always replace the battery or batteries in your equipment with the size and type of battery specified by the equipment manufacturer. Using the wrong type or size could cause malfunction or equipment damage.

7. Do not store batteries loosely or carry them loose in your pocket or purse. They can be shorted by contact with metal objects and leak or rupture.

8. Primary batteries should be discarded with your regular household trash. Never dispose of batteries in fire.

9. Never attempt to recharge a battery unless the battery specifically is marked "rechargeable."

10. Keep battery contact surfaces and battery compartment contacts clean by rubbing them with a clean pencil eraser or a clean cloth each time you replace batteries.

So, you shouldn't just Stop using your devices, you should follow these Preventive Measures in order to ensure that your love with your Tech devices continues to blossom.

Don't forget to ask any queries related to The Battery of your devices or any other Tech Related Queries 

Cause We just don't Solve your Queries We Bust 'em!!!!

Read More