Inventor claims breakthrough in laptop battery safety

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 12 Nov 2009 at 09:21

Technology to prevent lithium-ion batteries from catching fire or exploding in laptops and mobile phones may be on the market in the first months of next year, according to its inventor at the Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan.

When lithium-ion batteries develop internal shorts they can quickly heat up to as much as 500 degrees centigrade and catch fire or explode, as found in several high-profile cases in recent years.

The Taiwanese solution, called Stoba, sits between the positive and negative sides of the battery and when the battery hits 130 degrees centigrade, the device transforms from a porous material to a film and shuts down the reaction.

"We have introduced a totally new material to the battery," said Alex Pang, the senior researcher on the team.

According to Pang, battery makers in Taiwan are testing the technology and have ramped up manufacturing of Stoba-equipped cells to the thousands. They expect to begin shipping in the first quarter of 2010 and manufacturers suggest that Stoba will add only 2% to production costs.

The danger of exploding lithium batteries is so great that last month the US Transportation Department issued a "hazardous materials" notice. "Many persons who ship lithium batteries do not recognize the hazards... fires in aircraft can result in catastrophic events presenting unique challenges not encountered in other transport modes," the government said.