Lithium battery has become the standard battery type for mobile phones due to its large capacity, high voltage, lightweight and environmental protection. But the Samsung note 7 explosion also reminds the public that lithium batteries are not 100% safe. It is reported that the explosion of note 7 was caused by the radical design, which resulted in the serious shortage of space reserved for the battery compartment, the extrusion of positive and negative poles, and the inability to dissipate heat normally.

Cui Yi's team at Stanford University is working hard to solve this problem. Recently, they announced that they have developed a new invention to prevent lithium battery explosion: they installed a "fire extinguisher" inside the mobile phone. The researchers added a compound called triphenyl phosphate (flame retardant PPT) to the plastic fiber film to keep the positive electrode separated from the negative electrode.

Once the battery reaches a temperature of 150 ℃, the plastic fiber melts and releases chemicals, and the flame retardant is released into the electrolyte to prevent the battery from burning. The researchers used this technique for testing and said it could extinguish the flame in 0.4 seconds.

The idea of preventing the combustion and explosion of lithium batteries is not just Stanford's innovation and transformation. Different researchers around the world have proposed solutions. Although this technology is still in the early development stage and is not ready for commercialization, it can be predicted that our communication mode will be more secure in the future.