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HONG KONG, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Quite a few mobile phone power-bank accidents have occurred since July in Hong Kong and mainland China. A Hong Kong citizen has claimed that his mobile phone exploded, while he was using it to play games and charging, and burnt down his apartment. On Line 10 of the Beijing Subway, one passenger's mobile power bank contained in his bag, caught fire. In spite of such astonishing accidents as these caused by mobile phone power banks, a full range of knockoff power bank and peripheral products without proper labeling or certification still flood the market. Faced with so many confusing power-supply products, consumers must pay more attention to ensure selection of qualified power-supply products and avoid personal injuries caused by improper use.
Select qualified products rather than knockoffs
With the frequency of mobile power-bank accidents increasing with every day, and with ever increasing demands being placed on them, power-bank safety has become the number one factor in buying them. The first issue faced by any consumer is to ensure product quality and usage safety.
Some studies indicate that there are more than 500 mobile phone power-bank brands available in local markets. Mr. Sven-Olaf Steinke, a battery testing and inspection expert at TUV Rheinland, found that 43% of the 39 mobile power-bank products he saw in one electronic-product market in Shenzhen were not traceable. That is, none of them had any supplier information indicated, and thus were not compliant with any safety standards. TUV Rheinland's battery testing lab in Shenzhen reports that 10-20% of power-bank products submitted to them by suppliers fail their tests. The percentage would likely be much worse for those products made with no intention for submission to TUV Rheinland for testing.
How can purchasers ensure the power-bank products they buy are qualified and safe to use? By buying them at regular stores and retailers as well as at brand-authorized dealers, according to Mr. Steinke.
A qualified mobile phone power supply comes with a detailed user guide. Read the material supplied carefully for detail regarding trademarks, the manufacturer, manufacturing date, product specifications (including voltage, capacity, and recommended charging environment), and positive and negative pole indicators. Do not select any product with a manufacturing date one year previous or longer. Pay special attention to a battery's appearance, looking for any bulges, deformations, odor, liquid leakage, or loosened parts. Look for marks indicating prior usage at the positive and negative output poles. A new battery should have very small and light traces. After purchase, overheating or a reduced standby period may indicate that your battery has suffered a micro short circuit; stop using it and call your dealer immediately.
The safety of mobile phone power supplies is intimately related to their structure. The quality of its two key parts, the battery cell and PCB, is critical to the mobile power supply's safety. Battery capacity is not a good indicator of safety level, for batteries of larger capacity are not necessarily more inclined toward explosion. The truth is that the larger the capacity the more powerful any explosion. When choosing a mobile power supply, make sure that your product comes with adequate supplier information and is compliant with relevant safety standards.
Maintain good practice in using your mobile power supply
Battery testing and inspection experts at TUV Rheinland recommend that you watch the current at the output port when charging with mobile power bank. Some feature two ports -- 1A and 2A current, respectively. Please charge your mobile phone with the 1A connector, and notebook or tablet computer with the 2A. "Charging your phone with current above the rated value may speed up charging at the cost of long-term damage to your mobile-phone battery and may, in turn, cause a short circuit as a result of chemical imbalance internally," says Mr. Steinke. "This is commonly found in consumers with both the iPhone and iPad." The other method is to replace your phone battery with a backup. Please note that you should choose a branded battery for backup purposes.
High and low temperature environments may also negatively impact your battery performance. High temperatures may speed up chemical reactions within the battery and contract the internal isolation film separator, causing a short circuit. Mr. Steinke adds: "Do not leave your phone in a parked car or under the windshield for a long time on hot days. This may lead to battery bulging and the explosion of batteries with poor craftsmanship." Low temperatures may slow down a battery's reactions and reduce its capacity. Mobile phones that become damp or fall in water may suffer from dampness of the output terminal (metal part), leading to corrosion of the internal protection PCB and leaking of electricity.
Do not subject your battery to heavy pressure. This may damage its internal isolation film separator and lead to a short circuit. TUV Rheinland's engineers at its Shenzhen battery lab note that the international and American markets test mobile-phone batteries according to directives standards IEC62133, IEC60950-1 and UL 1642, and scores of failures occurred in related squeeze and overcharge tests.
Discard battery myths
There are scores of safety myths that consumers continue to show faith in regarding daily battery usage. Mr. Steinke states that some of these are utter nonsense, and the resulting fears are unnecessary. For example, it is safe to charge your phone with a computer, as the latter's USB output, DV5V and 500mA, present no danger of damage to your mobile phone.
Charging your battery with a brand charger over an extended period does not impact its service life, as both the battery and the charger are equipped with battery-power management and protection circuits for maximum self-protection.
Lithium-ion batteries do not suffer from the memory effect. You don't need to charge one for 24 hours before its first use. However, please do not leave a battery uncharged for an extended period of time. If you intend leave your battery unused for a long time, charge it 50% before putting it away. Overcharging or over-discharging may have an adverse effect on your battery's chemical system.
