In addition to the recent spate of fires and spontaneous combustion incidents involving power banks worldwide, this has unexpectedly led to a surge in popularity for solid-state and semi-solid-state battery power banks that claim to be explosion-proof even when pierced, cut, or subjected to impact. Recently, an influencer named “One Rope X Extreme Specialty” posted a video showing an experiment in which 11 commercially available solid-state power banks were pierced with a nail gun~【Exposing Unscrupulous Merchants! Fake Solid-State Power Banks “Catch Fire on the Spot”】In the video, two out of the 10 power banks tested—which were marketed as solid-state or semi-solid-state—actually caught fire after being punctured, leading the influencer to claim that some of the products were counterfeit solid-state power banks.
Is it really 100% guaranteed that solid-state/semi-solid-state battery power banks won’t catch fire or spontaneously combust after being punctured? Why do some of the solid-state power banks in the video catch fire after being punctured? Here’s an analysis:
Recently, a video showing a “partial combustion and fire in a commercially available solid-state battery power bank” has gone viral. The video directly accuses some unscrupulous manufacturers of using counterfeit solid-state batteries as the cause! Has the safety myth surrounding solid-state battery power banks been debunked? Below is a summary video and detailed explanation of the causes behind the solid-state power bank catching fire after being punctured, as shown in the influencer’s video:
1. Is there a 100% guarantee that true solid-state or semi-solid-state battery power banks won’t catch fire or spontaneously combust if punctured?
[Solid-State/Quasi-Solid-State/Semi-Solid-State Batteries] can minimize internal short circuits and withstand higher temperatures to the greatest extent possible, but they are not “invincible.” If subjected to extreme external damage, there is no 100% guarantee that they will not explode or catch fire!
According to Wang Fumin, Distinguished Professor at the Graduate Institute of Applied Technology at Taiwan University of Science and Technology, who has been researching batteries for 20 years, the main causes of spontaneous combustion and fires in portable power banks are exposure to high temperatures, external short circuits, and internal short circuits.
Recent incidents of spontaneous combustion and fires involving lithium-ion batteries have been primarily attributed to internal short circuits in defective battery cells. In traditional liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion batteries, after a period of use, lithium dendrites or metal particles form inside the cell and pierce the thinned or damaged separator, causing an internal short circuit, which in turn triggers thermal runaway and spontaneous combustion.
Image source: Materials and Testing
In the industry, 【solid-state/quasi-solid-state/ semi-solid-state batteries】retain only a small amount of liquid electrolyte—between 3% and 10%—which helps prevent thermal runaway (internal short circuits) caused by chemical reactions leading to separator insulation failure in traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries, thereby enhancing safety while minimizing the risk of leakage to the greatest extent possible. However, if the battery cell is intentionally short-circuited from the outside under extreme conditions or exposed to temperatures exceeding its tolerance limits, spontaneous combustion and fire will still occur!
Most power banks currently available on the market in Taiwan claim to use 【solid-state/quasi-solid-state/semi-solid-state batteries】 Most have passed China’s CCC certification and typically withstand rigorous destructive testing, including heating to 130°C, short-circuiting, crushing, dropping, and piercing with a nail, without catching fire or exploding—demonstrating that they can minimize the risk of leakage and thermal runaway. However, 【solid-state/quasi-solid-state/semi-solid-state batteries】 are inherently high-capacity power batteries, and passing these rigorous destructive tests requires compliance with specific laboratory testing conditions.
Based on the puncture resistance test, at least three criteria must be met, including“Using a single battery cell,” “not in the charging state,” and puncturing it with a “nail that meets certain size specifications”。
If you use a Phillips-head screwdriver to puncture the battery, it will twist the electrodes of each layer of the battery core together, causing a short circuit and resulting in a fire. With such an extreme method of destruction, even the safer “all-solid-state batteries” cannot escape the fate of short-circuiting, spontaneous combustion, and catching fire!
2. Why do some solid-state power banks in influencer videos catch fire after being punctured?
Filmed by “One Rope X Extreme Specialty Store” [Exposing Unscrupulous Merchants! Fake Solid-State Power Banks “Caught Fire on the Spot”」】In the video, a total of 11 power banks were tested. After being pierced with a nail gun, three of them caught fire: one was a liquid lithium-ion battery, and the other two used solid-state batteries. The influencer believes that the two solid-state power banks that caught fire spontaneously wereCounterfeit solid-state batteries sold by unscrupulous merchants。
After watching the video and examining the product that caught fire following the puncture, the forum moderator concluded that the cause of the explosion and fire was not the use of counterfeit solid-state batteries, but rather that the influencer’s puncture test did not comply with standard needle-puncture test protocols (using a single battery cell), resulting in an external short circuit after the puncture!
The puncture test conducted by the influencer involved piercing the device directly without removing the casing, rather than piercing a single solid-state or semi-solid-state battery cell itself. Since the solid-state power bank involved in the accident features a built-in “magnetic magnet” as part of its magnetic attachment mechanism, while the bottom cover uses an aluminum alloy shell to enhance heat dissipation, reduce weight, and improve the casing’s texture. If the casing is pierced directly, and the puncture point happens to be on the “magnetic magnet” or the “aluminum alloy shell,” the positive and negative terminals could come into contact, causing a short circuit and resulting in a fire.
Since the influencer tested two models from the same brand that caught fire, the 5,000mAh model did not spontaneously catch fire, but the 10,000mAh model caught fire rapidly. After the forum moderator investigated,Specifications of the affected product; the problem likely stems from the “battery cell series connection” design。
The 10,000mAh solid-state power bank that caught fire after being punctured uses two battery cells connected in series—one above the other—because it supports high-current input and output (maximum charging power of 35W). In a series configuration, the positive terminal of the first cell is directly connected to the negative terminal of the second cell. If a metal object pierces this connection area, it effectively causes a direct short circuit across the entire battery module. When the battery is fully charged, this instantly generates extremely high current and heat, which can lead to a fire.
Since the 5,000mAh solid-state power bank consists of only a single battery cell and has a maximum charging power of 22.5W, no fire occurred after the puncture. This indirectly proves that the manufacturer did not use counterfeit solid-state batteries; rather, the fire was caused by a short circuit in the series-connected battery module resulting from the puncture of the 10,000mAh product!
Since power banks that boast high-current charging capabilities and capacities of 10,000 mAh or more are the mainstay of the market—and given that the next generation of power banks will support Qi 2 at 25W—power bank manufacturers will inevitably adopt a series battery design to achieve higher voltage and power output. If influencers or members of the public, out of momentary curiosity, use incorrect puncture methods that do not comply with battery safety testing standards, this could pose unnecessary risks to personal safety.。
How can you choose a solid-state battery power bank to minimize safety risks?
The primary motivation for purchasing a solid-state battery power bank is usually safety. Should you buy a power bank that supports high charging wattage, features magnetic attachment, and has an aluminum alloy casing? In fact, as long as the power bank has passed Taiwan’s BSMI and NCC certifications and the battery cell has passed China’s CCC certification, safety is assured under normal use. While expensive hands-on tests by influencers may grab attention, the likelihood of a power bank—including both the casing and the battery cell—being directly pierced in real-world use is extremely low (typically, power banks are only damaged by being dropped; the worst-case scenario is being run over by a car). There’s no need to worry unnecessarily!
As “One Rope X Extreme” concluded in the video: ““Based on the entire experiment, the new generation of solid-state power banks is truly much, much safer than the old (liquid) ones—not even the 3-in-1 model caught fire…”If, as a result of watching a video showing puncture failure tests conducted under extreme conditions and seeing ““Sensational Headlines”But letting fear get the better of you and deciding not to buy a solid-state power bank with a capacity of 10,000 mAh or more—one that supports high charging power, features magnetic attachment, and has an aluminum alloy casing—is like “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”!
In short, while “semi-solid/solid-liquid batteries” cannot provide a 100% guarantee against fire or spontaneous combustion, they are designed to minimize the risk of internal short circuits and reduce the likelihood of leakage and thermal runaway,As long as consumers use products normally and ensure they are certified as compliant with national safety standards—and manufacturers have taken out “product liability insurance”—they can enjoy the highest level of safety assurance, which helps reduce “Nomophobia” (the anxiety caused by low cell phone battery levels).
Source: KOCPC Chinese