When batteries explode: five questions

SEOUL - Samsung is warning consumers to stop using its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after a spate of battery explosions.

It was the latest in a string of lithium-ion battery fires on products ranging from laptops to hoverboards to airliners -- and a reminder that pushing the technology envelope can sometimes be problematic.

Here are some things to know about the recall and why batteries can be a fire hazard.

HOW DO THESE BATTERIES WORK AND WHY DO THEY CATCH FIRE?

A lithium-ion battery is a kind of rechargeable battery that uses different materials, one holding positive ions -- the cathode -- and the other holding negative ions -- the anode.

These ions move one way when charging, and back again when discharging -- being used.

These two layers -- or conductors -- are never supposed to touch, so manufacturers insert separators to keep them apart.

Unfortunately, the chemical reaction that makes batteries work also creates heat. Overcharging the packs -- or charging them too fast -- can lead to fires.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE WITH SAMSUNG'S BATTERIES?

We don't know exactly, but Samsung has given some clues. It said parts of the battery that should never touch came together due to a "very rare manufacturing process error".

Gadget makers weigh all sorts of factors like performance, cost and safety when rolling out their next-generation technology.

And the race to push more battery life into their latest phone or tablet can lead to unexpected results.

"Smartphone makers are trying to squeeze these batteries into a small, thin package," said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo.

"Since batteries generate energy through a chemical reaction, it's really hard to reduce the risk (of fire) to zero.

"Sometimes convenience comes with a price."

HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?

Yes. Battery fires have been reported in products including Sony Vaio laptops, last-year's must-have toy the hoverboard, electric bikes and even Boeing's Dreamliner jet.

In Samsung's case, faulty batteries caused some handsets to burst into flames during charging.

Cases of exploding batteries continued to emerge following the recall announcement, as users claimed a burning device had damaged a hotel room in Australia or set a car on fire in the US.

HOW EXTENSIVE IS THE PROBLEM?

Not very. Millions of lithium-ion batteries are produced annually with a tiny fraction of those catching fire or exploding.

At the start of this month, Samsung had received reports of about 35 incidents involving the phone's batteries.

"It's not easy to know if Samsung's problem is the same as others...at this point," Yasuda said.

"If its battery suppliers sell these same ones to other producers,it could possibly affect them too."

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SAMSUNG AND OTHER GADGET MAKERS THAT USE THESE BATTERIES?

It will damage Samsung's reputation and likely hurt profits at a time when it is feeling the squeeze from Apple's iPhone and Chinese rivals in the lower-end category. The mobile business accounts for a major share of Samsung's profits.

It will also put pressure on gadget makers to figure out how to make battery packs safe for ever-smaller devices.

"We always want batteries to be safe but also to be more efficient," said Guy Marlair, a France-based safety expert.

"The more that we boost the battery's performance, the higher the energy density in a small space and the tougher it is to manage security."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Australian airlines ban use of Samsung Note 7 phones after battery fires

SYDNEY - Three Australian airlines have banned passengers from using or charging Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphones during flights due to concerns over the phone's fire-prone batteries.

Qantas, its budget unit Jetstar and Virgin Australia said they had not been directed to ban the use of the phone by aviation authorities, but did so as a precaution following Samsung's recall of the phones in 10 markets.

Although customers will still be able to bring the phones on flights, the ban extends to the phones being plugged in to flight entertainment systems where USB ports are available.

The recall follows reports of the 988,900 won ($885) phone igniting while charging - an embarrassing blow to Samsung, which prides itself on its manufacturing prowess and had been banking on the devices to add momentum to a recovery in its mobile business.

Samsung, the world's biggest smartphone vendor, has sold 2.5 million of the premium devices so far.

"Following Samsung Australia's recall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 personal electronic device we are requesting that passengers who own them do not switch on or charge them in flight," a Qantas spokesman said in an emailed statement.

Samsung Australia said in a statement that it had liaised with Qantas and Virgin Australia following the recall.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering its response to the Samsung recall and "working on guidance related to this issue," according to a FAA statement quoted by technology website Gizmodo.

Airlines have previously banned hoverboards from planes due to battery-fire risks.

In February the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations' agency, banned lithium-ion batteries from checked luggage following concerns from pilots and plane makers that they are a fire risk.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Recharge your phone in 30 seconds? This firm says it can

TEL AVIV - An Israeli company says it has developed technology that can charge a mobile phone in a few seconds and an electric car in minutes, advances that could transform two of the world's most dynamic consumer industries.

Using nano-technology to synthesize artificial molecules, Tel Aviv-based StoreDot says it has developed a battery that can store a much higher charge more quickly, in effect acting like a super-dense sponge to soak up power and retain it.

While the prototype is currently far too bulky for a mobile phone, the company believes it will be ready by 2016 to market a slim battery that can absorb and deliver a day's power for a smartphone in just 30 seconds.

"These are new materials, they have never been developed before," said Doron Myersdorf, the founder and chief executive of StoreDot, whose investors include Russian billionaire and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich.

The innovation is based around the creation of "nanodots", which StoreDot describes as bio-organic peptide molecules. Nanodots alter the way a battery behaves to allow the rapid absorption and, critically, the retention of power.

The company has raised $48 million from two rounds of funding, including backing from a leading mobile phone maker. Myersdorf declined to name the company, but said it was Asian.

With the number of smartphone users forecast to reach 1.75 billion this year, StoreDot sees a big market, and some experts think that -- with more work -- it could be on to a winner.

"We live in a power hungry world ... people are constantly chasing a power outlet. StoreDot has the potential to solve this real big problem," said Zack Weisfeld, who has worked with and evaluated ventures in the mobile phone sector globally.

"They still have some way to go, to deal with size of battery and power cycle rounds, but if solvable, it's a very big breakthrough," he told Reuters. A power cycle round refers to the number of times a battery can be re-charged in its lifetime.

Myersdorf said a fast-charge phone would cost $100-$150 more than current models and would ultimately be able to handle 1,500 recharge/discharge cycles, giving it about three years of life.

He hopes to use the same technology to create a car battery that recharges in two or three minutes, rather than current models which commonly need to be charged overnight.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com