Cracked Screen for no apparent reason?? Possible cause...?

[FoxKat]

I've been doing some research into Lithium Ion Polymer (Pouch) batteries which are the type in our RAZR and RAZR MAXX phones, as well as most other flat-pack type batteries in various other newest generation smart phones. There have been many threads about these phones getting cracked screens for no apparent reason, especially most recently with the Droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX. Sometimes it's fine sitting it down at night before going to bed, placing it on a charge, and then waking up the next morning to find it cracked. Other times people claim no abuse such as dropping, bending, etc., and yet they too seem to have gotten cracked screens with no apparent cause.

I ran across a short commentary regarding these battery packs expanding during charging and thought I'd mention it here.

From Battery University (Pouch Cell - Small but not Trouble Free – Battery University)

Pouch packs are normally Li-polymer. The energy density can be lower and be less durable than Li-ion in the cylindrical package. Swelling as a result of gas generation during charge and discharge is a concern. Battery manufacturers insist that Li-ion batteries do not generate excess gases that can lead to swelling when properly used. Nevertheless, some swelling can occur and most is due to faulty manufacturing. The pressure from swelling can crack a battery cover open and in some cases break the display or electronic circuit. :blink:

​

This may explain at least a small number of those screens that cracked when not even being touched such as those on charge during time when the owner is sleeping. It may not be the cause for any of those cases, but it's certainly worth consideration.

 

[garywojdan81]

Great find, thanks for posting.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[SallyC]

Very interesting, FoxKat. My husband has discussed these batteries puffing when used in the RC helicopter setting.

Worth considering, indeed.

 

[xxwabbit]

I can see this happening. I have seen/heard of lipo batteries in R/C cars swell and become useless and have to be thrown away.

 

[Trash Can]

I can see this happening. I have seen/heard of lipo batteries in R/C cars swell and become useless and have to be thrown away.

The battery on my MacBook swelled up pretty bad and had to be replaced (free of charge).

 

[SallyC]

I guess part of looking at this might be doing an autopsy to see if the battery is damaged or, baring that, see if the phone turns on and can be charged?

 

[Sydman]

Course good luck convincing Big Red that is what happened to your phone and getting them to replace it for you.

 

[2THEXTRM]

If RAZR uses pouch pack lipo I would be careful. Although this is common practice for most of us since we are careful with our expensive devices:
Do not leave your phone out I direct sunlight or exposed to a direct heat source.
I had a lipo pack puff up and start to smoke that was sitting on my tailgate on a sunny day, knocked it into my cooler full of ice water thinking that would take care of it but still sputtered under the water for about a minute! If I had left it sitting it would have likely scorched my tailgate from the intense heat.

Crazy stuff, maybe they somehow make the cell phone lipo pouches more stable?

Sent from my AXI0M AOKP using DroidForums

 

[FoxKat]

If RAZR uses pouch pack lipo I would be careful. Although this is common practice for most of us since we are careful with our expensive devices:
Do not leave your phone out I direct sunlight or exposed to a direct heat source.
I had a lipo pack puff up and start to smoke that was sitting on my tailgate on a sunny day, knocked it into my cooler full of ice water thinking that would take care of it but still sputtered under the water for about a minute! If I had left it sitting it would have likely scorched my tailgate from the intense heat.

Crazy stuff, maybe they somehow make the cell phone lipo pouches more stable?

Sent from my AXI0M AOKP using DroidForums

Actually you are 100% correct. I am in the middle of compiling a "Troubleshooting 101" thread, as well as a "Battery" thread and in the battery thread, I mentioned exactly what you are referring to. I had posted a short video on another thread of a LIPO pouch pack bursting into flames within mere fractions of a second after being punctured with a nail, but heat can cause the same reaction as there becomes what is called a "thermal runaway" that takes place internally in the battery and can be a violent event with an explosion followed by flames blowing out like a torch. Just recently a man had part of his tongue and several teeth blown out along with facial burns when his electronic cigarette's LIPO battery exploded.

Here's a link to the article and video coverage (Electronic Cigarette Explodes In Man's Mouth, Burns His Face ) and, no...that's not a joke (huffington post - cigarette), but sorry for the unintended pun.

:redface:

Here's one of the videos, but Youtube has plenty. This guy is using the ipod playing a game and it suddenly bursts out on two corners. Look at 00:54 seconds on the video ([video=youtube;9cU_HYFNuNU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cU_HYFNuNU&feature=related[/video]).

Here's an iPhone 3 battery that expanded in the phone for this guy ([video=youtube;JFwn0MJTw6A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwn0MJTw6A&feature=related[/video]).

This is a perfect example of how such an event could put excess pressure on the display glass (under the Gorilla Glass), and crack it but not crack the Gorilla Glass as has happened for some, and yet go undetected by the owner. Since the RAZR is a tightly laminated package, even the slightest expansion of the battery pack could cause the cracks.

 

[Trash Can]

I had posted a short video on another thread of a LIPO pouch pack bursting into flames within mere fractions of a second after being punctured with a nail, but heat can cause the same reaction as there becomes what is called a "thermal runaway" that takes place internally in the battery and can be a violent event with an explosion followed by flames blowing out like a torch.

Not to hijack your thread, but lithium battery fires are the suspected cause of a few aircraft accidents over the past few years.

 

[Sydman]

Man, that video that it recommended when that one ended of the dude who's hand was all jacked up is a little scary. The one with the cat in the microwave made it all better though.

 

[monkey_man]

Holy Cow this is scary!!! I had this experience with a Mini Sports cam where the Li-on puffed up and made the camera useless :blink:. Why oh why such a cheap made! :frown:

 

[SallyC]

I talked with my husband about this and he said puffed batteries can still work, if they're not puffed too badly. (Although they could still crack the screen.) But he thought it would be interesting to see if this happens more frequently to people who have run their battery down more often as that's hard on the battery. He has pretty extensive experience with this due to his RC helicopter hobby and owns heaven only knows how many batteries and chargers.

 

[FoxKat]

Not to hijack your thread, but lithium battery fires are the suspected cause of a few aircraft accidents over the past few years.

You didn't hijack my thread. The information you provided lends additional credibility to my thoery. As for your use of "hijack" and "aircraft accident" in the same sentence...well let's leave that up to the TSA! LOL!

 

[Sydman]

I can't find a picture to do this joke justice so...

Insert here a funny looking image of Michael Jackson's "I always feel like somebody's watching me"

NSA is on to this thread now.