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| Lithium ion batteries power nearly every mobile device. Image Source Pcworld |
Researchers have designed
a lithium-ion battery that contains a fire-extinguishing material, which is
released if the battery gets too hot.
Flame retardant triphenyl
phosphate (TPP) sits inside a shell within the electrolyte fluid. The shell
melts when the temperature reaches 150C (302F), releasing the chemical
compound. In tests, battery fires
were extinguished in 0.4 seconds.
Lithium-ion batteries
power many devices but are a known fire hazard.
The Stanford University
research team's peer-reviewed paper has been published by the journal Science
Advances.
Previous attempts to
incorporate TPP inside batteries without the shell have hampered their
performance.
If a lithium-ion battery
cell charges too quickly or a tiny manufacturing error slips through the net it
can result in a short circuit - which can lead to fire.
In February 2016, the US
National Transportation Safety Board issued a warning about lithium batteries
in aeroplane cargo, describing them as "a fire and explosion ignition
source".
While Samsung has not yet
released the results of its investigation into what caused some of its Galaxy
Note 7 smartphones to catch fire last year, local reports have suggested it has
found that the batteries were responsible.
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| Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Image copyright ARIEL GONZALEZ |
A Galaxy Note 7
reportedly caught fire shortly after its charger was unplugged
However, the firm would
not confirm that this was their conclusion.
"We understand the
need for answers and appreciate your continued patience as well as that of our
valued customers, partners and stakeholders," it said in a statement.
"We are working
diligently to ensure that we have a comprehensive update and will provide more
information in the coming weeks once we have the final report."
Better batteries.
Battery technology has
been slower to evolve than the many battery-powered devices that rely on it,
said Ian Fogg, senior analyst at IHS,
"There is enormous
pressure to improve battery tech. It's one of the areas that's holding back
mobile devices and a range of other products," he told the BBC.
"Manufacturers have
been balancing out consumer demand for longer-lived batteries, and more
powerful devices with better graphics and larger more detailed displays, with
the sophistication of battery tech.
"It's very difficult
to push up the capacity of batteries and there is always a risk that a battery
in any device could fail."
Source:BBC
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