Discarded Note 7 batteries cause fire at Samsung SDI factory

[midian182]

It seems that the Galaxy Note 7 continues to be a problem for Samsung, months after it stopped manufacturing the troubled handsets. The Korean company reported that a fire at a Samsung SDI plant yesterday was caused by waste products including the faulty batteries from its recalled smartphones.

Samsung SDI, the first supplier of the Note 7’s batteries, said the fire in Tianjin, China, was “minor” and has since been extinguished. There were no injuries, and it hasn’t affected production, according to spokesman Shin Yong-doo.

The fire broke out in the part of the facility used for waste. Fire officials said the "material that caught fire was lithium batteries inside the production workshops and some half-finished products." The Wuqing branch of the Tianjin Fire Department added that 110 firefighters and 19 trucks were sent to put out the flames, which sounds like a lot for a “minor” fire.

Although Reuters reports that SDI is manufacturing the batteries for the upcoming Galaxy S8, which will reportedly be released in mid-April, there are rumors that Samsung may use Japanese supplier Murata Manufacturing Company for the flagship's batteries instead.

The official cause of the Note 7 fires was revealed last month. In the first set of batteries, manufactured by Samsung SDI, there was a flaw in the upper right corner that caused a deflection in the negative electrode, leading to a short circuit.

Samsung then turned to Amperex Technology for the second set of batteries. But the speed at which they needed to be produced meant another manufacturing issue occurred. This time, the defect led to the positive tab short-circuiting with the negative electrode.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/68095-discarded-note-7-batteries-cause-fire-samsung-sdi.html

 

[Uncle Al]

As recently shown on a PBS documentary on Lithium-Ion batteries, they are a danger even when sitting still, not plugged up, or in contact with anything that would use the power. The next generation has changed the strata that separates the layers and makes reaction due to puncture, leakage or short circuiting impossible, but the production methods are different enough that the battery makers are not yet ready to upgrade their facilities due to simple costs. The issue is not limited to Samsung, it exists for any and every Lithium-Ion battery in existence.

 

[amstech]

Battery technology is still way behind.
After 18 months the nicest ones are still trash.

I got my S5 waiting in its box so when my S6 starts to last 3 hours on a full charge, back to the S5 we go with its brand new $10 battery that takes 3 seconds to pop in.

 

[MonsterZero]

There's so much tech in new batteries but we keep pushing the standard of old Li-ion.

Seems like the only person working on batteries is Elon Musk, looks like the world will have to wait for Tesla to produce compact batteries?

 

[namesrejected]

( The Wuqing branch of the Tianjin Fire Department added that 110 firefighters and 19 trucks were sent to put out the flames, which sounds like a lot for a “minor” fire. )

They probably needed all the trucks because it was a lithium fire, and you cant really put a lithium fire out with water. The fire fighters were making it worse if they used water.

 

[sac39507]

At least they know now no one was lying