Why does mobile blast

Why Does a Mobile Blast and How Can You Prevent It?

Have you thought about why phones blast?

In most cases, a mobile blast or mobile explosion occurs due to a mobile battery blast. Let us try to find out the exact reason for a mobile battery failure that causes mobile blasting.

Why Does Mobile Blast Occur?

Lithium batteries are used in all mobile devices as they are the most energy-efficient for their compact size.

But in recent years, there have been a lot of incidents of mobile blasts because of battery bursting.

A few years back Samsung Galaxy Note 7 came with a battery fire that was to be completely withdrawn from the market.

A Redmi Note 5 Pro explosion recently killed an 8-year-old girl in Kerala while she was playing a game on her phone. The reason for this has not yet been disclosed by the relevant authorities.

They came up with a self-ridiculous statement that the fire was caused by using a ‘non-standard’ charger, without even assuring that their mobile was blasted.

Related: How Can Do Smartphone Malware Protection Against Mobile Malware?

In the majority of incidents, it was found that mobile blasts by the aftereffect of a mobile battery explosion.

mobile battery blast

The lithium batteries explosion is old enough as lithium batteries.

The first generation of lithium batteries was well aware that after the full charge if it is continuously charged at higher voltages, it would be heated and fired.

Hence, there were many hazards in the first years since we did not use proper chargers.

Facts Behind Battery Blasts

Modern Lithium-Ion batteries we are using in mobile phones have a heavy charge capacity and hence they are very explosive.

This battery blast may happen at any time when circumstances favour it.

The sequence of a mobile blast or mobile battery blast starts from the heat developed in Li-Ion batteries.

  • This may happen due to heat developed in the charging circuit or in the battery itself.
  • In addition to this heat, already there is some heat in the battery due to chemical action which may further spread the heat to the electrolyte area.
  • This high temperature in the electrolyte causes its expansion which in turn bursts the battery case.
  • The hot liquid coming out is very inflammable and causes burning or melting of the surroundings next to the battery, which in turn may lead to a total mobile phone blast. Sometimes it may hurt the user too.

Safety Precautions in Modern Batteries

Shorting of battery terminals also causes lithium batteries to fire and burn.

Battery manufacturers began to add a small protection circuit inside the lithium batteries, to avoid the hazards due to nonstandard chargers or by accidentally shorting the terminal lines.

There will be a similar protection circuit for all lithium batteries, including smartphone batteries currently available on the market.

This allows you to ensure safety by avoiding the battery via an external or internal short circuit and overcharging.

There is a special type of insulator which is also known as a separator between positive and negative electrodes to avoid the possibility of short-circuiting the electrodes of cells.

Other safety features of the batteries include

  • Circuit to eliminate high current surges.
  • Non-inflammable components are added to the electrolyte which reduces the chances of heavy explosion.
  • A device to monitor the pressure in the battery which interrupts the circuit when it exceeds a certain level
  • Thermal fuses break the circuit when the temperature exceeds a safe level.
  • Safety exhaust vents allow the passage of the excess gases developed inside the battery.

Why Do Batteries Have the Fire?

Despite all this, why do batteries have fire?

Is the charger a problem or battery failure?

Here is the villain battery itself.

The main reason behind, manufacturers are trying to reduce weight and thickness by sacrificing the necessary safety precautions which leads to mechanical instability.

But in some cases, the mobile blast has happened as a result of battery electrodes shorting through the low-quality chargers.

And there are chances of phones exploding while charging and talking occur simultaneously.

The flashes of mobile phone batteries, including Galaxy Note-7, Mi phone blast, and Oppo phone blast while charging have happened due to the mechanical stability of the batteries and defective separator which failed to withstand the internal short circuit.

We already explained the basic reason for the mobile phone battery explosion, resulting from some other reasons listed below.

1. Dropping of Battery

Whenever the phone falls we only care to know about the damage to the phone display.

But when it falls strongly it may affect the internal structure or alignment of electrodes and electrolytes inside the battery.

Also, a strong mechanical impact on batteries causes malfunctioning or complete destruction of the battery protective circuit.

This will cause swelling, deformation, or overheating of the cell.

So care should be taken to examine the battery also when the mobile phone drops down from a high altitude.

2. How May Overheat of the Phone Lead to a Mobile Blast?

Almost all modern smartphones can shut down the device overheating, But we should stay away from the reasons that cause it.

The phone’s operating environment should be low temperature.

Excessive gaming or other applications that use tremendous CPU power, long phone calls, and searching for Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity are some of the regular reasons for overheating in our daily lives.

Already there is a nominal rise in the temperature of the battery when it is being charged.

The following points should be taken care of during mobile phone charging.

  1. The phone should be kept out of its case to allow natural air circulation.
  2. Don’t keep the phone on any other cover or bag.
  3. Keep the phone away from a hot environment, especially inside a hot car.
  4. Avoid exposure of the phone to direct sunlight.

Excessive ambient heat might potentially damage the phone’s battery. The cells become slightly unstable, lose exothermic breakdown, and emit gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide.

These gases can cause the battery to expand, weaken its structure, and finally explode.

As a result, it is not recommended to leave the handset in a hot car or direct sunlight for a prolonged amount of time.

3. Low Quality or Wrong Charger

It should be noted that the charger that comes with the phone meets the specifications required for charging the specific battery.

Most of the phone blast while charging occurs mainly because of the low-quality charging unit.

So replacing the same will cause improper charging and further destruction of the phone.

Always try to use the prescribed charger having specified voltage and current ratings.

4. The Punctured Battery Also Causes a Mobile Blast

Lithium is very susceptible to reacting with water or oxygen. So the punctured battery will enable this direct reaction of the lithium with water/oxygen.

This will produce some results which are from small fumes with an annoying smell to a full-on explosion.

Phone blast

When the phones were not waterproof, there was a high risk of the battery exploding. Even the cheapest handsets nowadays have a splash-resistant covering that keeps water away as much as possible.

Lithium-ion batteries of high quality are hermetically sealed.

If such a seal fails, the lithium inside the battery reacts rapidly with water or moisture, resulting in fire, smoke, and toxic gases (primarily hydrogen fluoride, up to 2 grams from a typical 2000 mAH battery; lethal toxicity 0.025 mg/m3).

However, the likelihood of a fatal explosion in open space is extremely low. But if the phone is in a contained instance, such as a bag, a pocket, or any other closed situation, the explosion may be severe.

If you still want to experience it, combine a low-cost smartphone with a punctured battery that allows water in, and you’ve got a foundation for danger.

5. Wet Phone May Cause Mobile Blast

Lithium has a chemical behaviour that will ignite when in contact with water and cause a phone blast. As we know modern phones are water-resistant and a healthy battery case is water-sealed.

But this is not the scenario when a combination of a cheap mobile phone with a punctured battery.

Care should be taken to resist water entry inside the phone in any case.

Related: What To Do When The Phone Fell Into Water

6. Overloading of the Processor

Excessive CPU usage might also contribute to your phone overheating.

Even the most powerful chipsets have heat dissipation while multitasking and running programs with demanding graphics-oriented games.

To address this, manufacturers have begun to include a thermal protection function or thermal sensor to keep the handset’s heat under control.

However, in many circumstances, if the process is overloaded due to continuous and intense use, this protective method fails, resulting in phone blasting.

7. Aged of Components

The internal components of the smartphone, including the battery, will start to deteriorate after 4 to 5 years of continuous use.

This reduces the effectiveness of the protective circuit in the battery and phone. This eventually leads to battery overheating, shorting, and swelling.

As lithium batteries near the end of their intended lifespan, they may swell.

If you try to charge such batteries for longer periods in this condition, the electrical energy entering the battery becomes hot rather than being stored in it, causing the batteries to expand further and eventually burst.

The bulging of the battery may not always be visible from the outside. So it’s a good idea to take your phone to a qualified service centre after at least four years of use.

Consider Buying a Branded Phone from Reputed Manufacturers

Even though modern smartphones and batteries are coming with the above-mentioned safety features there may be some exceptions.

But in most cases, leading manufacturers are trying to implement safety precautions.

However, some local manufacturers are keeping away from these safety features as a part of reducing their manufacturing expenses.

They are trying to incorporate low-quality electronic components and other parts as a part of cost reduction.

These low-quality components may fail to withstand the normal load on the mobile phone and cause the temperature to rise inside the mobile case.

This may lead to a fire on the motherboard or battery of the phone and result in a total explosion of the complete phone unit.

So try to avoid that type of cheap mobile phone.

Be Safe with Mobile Phone Batteries 

Keep in mind that you are dealing with a device with heavy explosion capacity in extreme conditions.

So try to avoid the conditions that catalyze the overheating of the battery and stay away from injury.

The problem of mobile phone explosions is complicated and diverse, and it requires our immediate response from all directions.

We have looked at the numerous causes of these terrible mobile blast scenarios and the approaches that may be used to prevent them throughout this post.

A comprehensive solution for this important thing requires a mix of technical breakthroughs, user education, and strong industry regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop my phone from blasting?

1. If it gets too hot, avoid charging the phone. Allow the phone to cool down and recharge the test. If there is no change in temperature rise, consult the service centre.
2. Always use the prescribed charger.
3. Don’t use the phone when it is charging.
4. Keep your phone away from you while charging. Don’t keep your phone in your bed while it’s charging, especially at night.
5. Don’t keep your phone in a box or a car dashboard during the charging period. There should be appropriate areas for air circulation.

Is it safe to use a swollen phone battery?

No, it is not safe to use a swollen phone battery. If you see your battery swelling out, switch off your phone immediately and replace the battery with qualified service personnel.

What is the reason behind the mobile blast?

Smartphones nowadays are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have a balance of positive and negative electrodes and can be recharged. When the components of a phone battery fail due to heat or another cause, it causes an explosive reaction that frequently results in phone blasts.

How do I stop my phone from blasting?

Allow your phone to cool down before using it while charging. Use only manufacturer-approved chargers and cables. Cheap or counterfeit chargers can cause overcharging, overheating, and other problems that may lead to phone explosions. Avoid overcharging your phone.

What are the symptoms of a phone blast?

The major sign before the explosion is that the device may get excessively hot. It has also been reported that the gadget expands or the seams break apart due to defective batteries bulging. Furthermore, the gadget begins to release smoke with a foul chemical odour.

Which type of mobile battery is a blast?

In most cases, lithium-ion lithium-polymer batteries are utilized in our phones. Both of these batteries can ignite fire and burst. Because of chemical activity caused by a variety of factors, a lithium battery may tend to breach its protective shell, and if the lithium within the battery comes into contact with air or water, it will rapidly catch fire.

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