We have written a lot about the ill effects of smoking and we have done this aggressively. You know enough about the health risks of smoking. We have also advocated vaping as a healthy alternative to smoking. However, an e-cigarette or a vaporizer can be injurious in some cases.
E-cigarette or Vaporizer Battery explosion
Just like a Smartphone battery, an e-cigarette or vape pen battery can also explode. The battery can cause some serious injuries when it is in your pocket. No one wants the battery to explode in the face.
Injuries Due To Battery Explosion
Burns, fractured bones and even loss of eyesight are some of the injuries due to a battery explosion. In several cases, burns are third-degree burns. In many cases, skin grafts are required. These grafts often leave significant scars. These injuries are combinations of tissue blast injuries and flame burns.
How Often The Battery Explodes?
All reputed manufacturers use high quality, safe, lab-tested and non-recycled batteries in their devices. Therefore, batteries of vaporizers rarely explode. According to a report by US Fire Administration, 25 e-cigarette battery explosion injuries are reported in a span of five years from 2009 to 2014. More than 2.5 million Americans were using e-cigarettes in 2014. However, even if rare, it is unsafe and injuries can be horrendous. Therefore, be careful while buying a new vape pen.
Why This Happens?
Vaporizers operate on small but powerful lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, when the battery malfunctions and fails, it results in explosion and results are often disastrous.
Venkat Viswanathan, mechanical engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University says that electrolyte used in the battery is an equivalent of gasoline. The electrolyte is flammable. Therefore, when the battery shorts out, heat is generated. This heat combusts the flammable electrolyte and the battery explode.
Who Is To Blame?
When it comes to putting blame, in some cases, you can put the blame on the manufacturer. However, in some cases, you can’t. Recycled batteries are not safe. This is the reason why most of the manufacturers use non-recycled batteries. If the lithium-ion battery is not well made or it is a recycled one, you can blame the manufacturer. In case you are exposing the battery to extreme temperatures or you are using a third party battery, it is your mistake.
Genuine batteries are well made and lab-tested. Therefore, buy original vaporizers and e-cigarettes from authorized suppliers only.