What Causes an Electronic Cigarette Explosion?

Electronic cigarette use has grown in popularity, but there have been many reports of e-cigarette explosions of which consumers should be aware.

Consumers have reported unexpected explosions while their electronic cigarette was in a pocket or even when it was in use. There have also been reports of hand and face burns, eyesight loss, and broken bones.

E-cigarettes are supposed to be a better and more healthy way to feel the effects of nicotine. However, some consumers are wondering if the benefits of their electronic cigarette are worth a possible explosion or even worse, injury.

One doctor at the University of Colorado Hospital Burn Center describes the explosions to NBC News: “It’s literally an explosion, a super-hot explosion. We’re seeing deep third-degree burns and almost all of them require skin grafts and these grafts leave a significant scar.”

Dr. Anne Wagner has seen several cases of electronic cigarette explosions, and the University of Colorado Hospital Burn Center has treated six such cases since the beginning of the year.

The burn center, according to NBC News, treated a young man, aged 19, after he experienced an electronic cigarette battery explosion in his pocket. The explosion set his pants on fire and left a severe burn on his thigh.

The nineteen-year-old told NBC, “I heard what sounded almost like a sparkler going off, and then bang, a huge explosion, a huge flash of light and these flames were coming at my face. As I looked down, my leg was on fire. I ripped my pants off, and even with my pants off, my leg was still on fire because the battery acid sprayed all over my leg and dripped down my leg.”

Apparently, he had removed the battery from the electronic cigarette and placed it in his pocket with some coins. He said that he didn’t know that doing this would be risky and that he’d never been informed of the risk.

Why Does an Electronic Cigarette Explode?

There are many possible reasons behind an electronic cigarette explosion. The batteries used to power these devices are lithium-ion batteries. When they don’t function correctly, the effects can be extreme. These are the same batteries that have also exploded in laptops, hoverboards and cellphones.

When a lithium-ion battery is at temperatures above 115 degrees Fahrenheit or below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the battery has a good chance of malfunctioning.

Also, if an electronic cigarette battery is charged too quickly or are overcharged, malfunctions may occur as well.

Additionally, according to NBC News, there is a lack of industry regulation in the manufacturing of electronic cigarettes. One expert explained, “The electrolyte inside the battery is basically the equivalent of gasoline.”

Venkat Viswanathan, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University said, “So when these batteries short out, there’s a surge of heat that causes this flammable electrolyte to combust and explode.” He went on to say that cheaply made cells have a larger chance of being manufactured incorrectly which can lead to device failure.