A video with a “don’t try this at home” warning has surfaced on the Internet and the film footage may shock viewers.
A man in the film footage is seen taking sharp stabs at remnants of his cellular phone and battery, using a steak knife. The man gives it several goes before the battery seemingly springs to life. The battery emits a mild spark before hissing and quickly bursting into flames.
The majority of computer-based electronics use lithium-ion batteries. The batteries are small, compact, and lightweight, therefore particularly favored by cell phone manufacturers. As it turns out, most lithium-ion batteries will have a violent reaction when exposed to outside heat sources, when the batteries overheat, or when the batteries come into contact with another energy source.
The intense reactions caused by overworked lithium-ion batteries led to the eventual recall of battery sets that were commonly used in Dell laptops and Apple products. An Internet search for the phrase “lithium-ion battery safety” reveals images of products that were heavily damaged by their battery components. One such image, a Dell laptop, reveals a burned-out unit, heavily scorched in the lower right area of the unit, as well as the screen. A film covering the machine may have been caused by use of a fire extinguisher.
A website, Battery University, reveals that the increased hazard risk increased throughout the years as manufacturers tried to keep up with the increased demand for longer lasting batteries.