A Breakthrough Solution For Exploding Phones

by Jonathan SangerThere may now be a better way to put out smartphone fires, no fire extinguisher needed. Researchers at Stanford University have built flame-retardant material right into the batteries. Lithium-ion batteries, like the ones in the Samsung Note 7 phones, contain flammable electrolytes. Researchers put a barrier containing the flame retardant TPP between the positive and negative sides of the battery. When the battery heats up to 320˚F, the protective layer melts and releases the flame retardant, stoping the fire in just .4 seconds, before it gets too big. Previous integrations of flame retardant has degraded battery performance, but this version hasn’t. The technology has worked swimmingly on button cell batteries, but hopefully it’ll work in larger ones as well.

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