A False Scare Raises a Real Specter of Exploding Batteries

Exploding cell phones remain rare, but counterfeits boost the risk

By Jeremy Hsu Posted 02.09.2009 at 1:55 pm 3 Comments

Pow!(?) Wesley Oostvogels (CC Licensed)

Most people don't see their cell phones as tiny time bombs, because they're not. But news of an exploding cell phone killing its owner in China has raised concerns once more, despite the fact that the latest reports suggest a homemade zip gun is to blame.

China has seen at least eight other reports of exploding cell phones since 2002. Similar incidents in the U.S. and other countries have led to Lithium-ion battery recalls in the past. Manufacturers have pointed fingers at counterfeit batteries in nearly all past cases.

"Counterfeit batteries place our customers at risk," said Jason Howard, a manager for Mobile Devices-Energy Technologies at Motorola. "Furthermore, they hurt our brand."

Howard noted that any "explosion" is usually connected to the release of built-up pressure inside cell containers. Such rare cases are usually linked to external heating through hot plates or microwave ovens, or excessive mechanical force through crushing or puncturing.

Hundreds of millions of people use cell phones daily without problem – probably because most don't subject their phones to such extreme abuse. Cell phone batteries may simply become collateral damage in a few cases, such as the latest Chinese incident involving the zip gun.

A widely publicized South Korean case in 2007 also had investigators suspecting an exploding cell phone in a construction worker's breast pocket, before a coworker confessed to accidentally running the victim over with a hydraulic drill rig.

However, counterfeit batteries can suffer from overheating or other problems under less extreme circumstances. Counterfeit suppliers save money by skimping on requirements such as not matching battery specs to the proper phones, using Li-ion cells that don't pass industry standard tests, using shoddy safety circuit components (or none at all), and cutting corners on quality control.

Motorola and other manufacturers consistently urge consumers to only buy legitimate batteries from approved suppliers for their phones. But Howard said that tighter industry standards would not solve the problem of counterfeit batteries.

"Unethical manufacturers won’t bother complying with the requirements," Howard told PopSci. "Combating counterfeit batteries needs to come from areas like consumer awareness and customs enforcement."

That remains a struggle for some countries such as China, where an ambivalent stance toward counterfeit goods holds sway. Chinese locals readily accept knockoffs, to the extent that such "shanzhai" products become culturally celebrated. But even false scares such as the latest may be giving many people cause to reconsider.

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3 Comments

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Guesser

02/09/09 at 3:20 pm

Maybe if manufacturer weren't so interested in increasing their bottom line, there wouldn't be a counterfeit market. Most batteries go into inventory (at the retailer) at $5, and retail for $50+. The manufacturer probably controls the "testing" on failing batteries, not that I am a conspiracy nut, but I would point the blame at the competition too, much too convenient that all cases are the result of counterfeits. They could also standarize them to have ecomomies in production and pass on savings to the consumer, but if I was motorola and people are willing to pay 10x the cost... I wonder what my bonus will be this year.

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ford2go

02/10/09 at 3:52 am

Guessers arguements seem a little hard to believe. If retailers are making 10x profit -- that's not the fault of greedy manufacturers. Also, with all of the retailers cutting each others throats these days, I doubt that a markup like that is really possible.

As for standardization, I'm all for it. But, everybody wants the smallest and most exotic phone. I'm guessing that battery design is a major part of getting what is needed.

If there was money to be made on a comprable battery, third party manufacturers would be all over it. If it's true that the knockoffs are dangerous, then making good ones can't be that cheap.

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billdale

02/10/09 at 4:51 pm

Battery tech is evolving rapidly. We won't have much longer to worry about fires and explosions if Altair NanoSafe batteries enter the mainstream, since testing by the military has shown them to have no volatility. Even when shot with a 50 caliber machine gun, the battery just shorted out-- not even a puff of smoke. They have been overcharged, undercharged, baked in ovens at 400 degrees, crushed, and had nails driven through them without incident.

Batteries made by A123 Systems have also had a good safety record, even when used in highly demanding applications such as electric dragsters and drag bikes. I was with a friend when he accidentally shorted out a few of them, and despite melting the connecting wires the batteries did not catch fire or explode.

Although cell phones and laptops exploding is scary, the problem with electric vehicles is even greater. Cell phones catching fire have caused serious burns, but a 500 lb. battery pack in an electric car could easily kill several people if it caught fire or exploded. For this reason, car makers are the ones most sensitive to this issue of battery volatility.

The military has been buying up nearly all NanoSafe batteries so far-- I have no other explanation for why they are not on the market, but I hope that changes soon. If by magic every car in the country were running on electricity tomorrow, that would mean we would save the 700 billion dollars we spend on foreign oil every year-- that would be enough to get us out of the current economic crisis. It would also mean we would have the money for education, health care, and deteriorating bridges and highways. We desperately need to end our dependence on foreign oil, and electric vehicles is the way to do it.

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