Internal failures can result from poor manufacturing.
Unlike with laptops or cell phones, many e-cig users also carry spare batteries on their person, which makes the possibility of an external failure more likely. For instance, external failures can result from the battery coming into contact with metal, such as keys or loose change in a user’s pocket. External failures occur when a certain amount of microscopic metal particles converge on one spot, creating an electrical short and a sizable current flow between the positive and negative electrodes, leading to combustion. Lithium-ion battery failures in e-cigs can be either external or internal and caused by a variety of factors. Indeed, it was determined that out of 195 e-cig fire and explosion incidents between January 2009 and December 2016, more than 60 percent of the incidents occurred when the device was either in a pocket or actively in use. In addition, the fact that e-cigs are inherently used close to one’s body increases the danger if combustion does occur. Because e-cigs are often cylindrical, when a battery in an e-cig combusts, it can propel out of the device with extreme force. Fire Administration has suggested that e-cigs present a unique hazard due to their shape and design. While lithium-ion batteries have caused overheating or combustion in a variety of personal electronic devices, the U.S. Causes of Lithium-Ion Battery Malfunctions in E-Cigs Therefore, if the separator ruptures, or the overcharge protection fails resulting in overcharging, the battery can short circuit and the flammable electrolyte can combust.Ģ. While lithium-ion batteries contain certain protections and safety features, the liquid electrolyte inside the battery is highly flammable. When the device is in use, the opposite occurs and lithium ions move from the negative electrode back to the positive electrode. The battery contains liquid electrolyte, and during charging, lithium ions move through the electrolyte from the positive electrode to the negative electrode. The separator, usually a very thin sheet of plastic, acts to keep the positive and negative electrodes separate while allowing the ions to pass through.
Lithium-ion batteries contain a positive electrode and a negative electrode divided by a separator.
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable, and are found in a wide array of products beyond e-cigs, including electric cars, laptops and smart phones. The battery heats the coil, which in turn heats the e-liquid into vapor. The Role of Lithium-Ion Batteries in E-Cig TechnologyĮ-cigs release vaporized e-liquid that is inhaled by the user in a process known as “vaping.” E-cigs contain at least two basic components: a battery and an atomizer, which contains a metal coil and e-liquid. This client alert examines the role of lithium-ion batteries in e-cig technology, the causes of lithium-ion battery malfunctions, and technological advancements designed to address potentially dangerous malfunctions.ġ. These incidents often stem from overheating or other failures of the lithium-ion batteries powering these devices, and can lead to product liability claims.
“Unfortunately a growing number of small consumer products such as vaping devices, personal fans, headlamps and some toys are using loose 18650s as a power source,” the CPSC informed.Electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, vape pens, and other electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products (“e-cigs”) continue to make headlines due to malfunctions that sometimes result in combustion. Once shorted, loose cells could overheat and experience thermal runaway, igniting the cell’s internal materials and forcibly expelling burning contents, resulting in fires, explosions, serious injuries and even death. “Specifically these battery cells may have exposed metal positive and negative terminals that can short-circuit when they come into contact with metal objects such as keys or loose change in a pocket,” the Commission warned. The injuries related to exploding 18650 cells have been in the news but the frequency has increased in the recent past, as these are now available on popular e-commerce sites as well as with wholesale retailers. However, they are being separated, rewrapped and sold as new consumer batteries, typically on the Internet,” the CPSC said in a statement on Saturday. “These cells are manufactured as industrial component parts of battery packs and are not intended for individual sale to consumers. The Commission said it is working with e-commerce sites like ‘eBay’ to remove listings of loose “18650 lithium-ion” batteries. Washington: The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned that consumers should not buy or use a particular type of lithium-ion battery cells - used in vapes, e-cigarettes, flashlights and toys - due to possible fire and even death risk.
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