Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 caused a stir of controversy last year after the mobile devices on more than a few occasions caught fire or heated up to an unsafe point causing harm to many owners of the device.
It got so bad for the Korean electronics giant that the U.S. Department of Transportation banned the phones from all U.S. aircraft labeling them a “forbidden hazardous material.” Obviously, in response to the problems with the phones, Samsung pulled them from the shelves and ordered an investigation into why the devices were catching fire.
Samsung says issues at the negative electrode layers of the lithium-ion batteries caused fires in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Source: Samsung Now, Samsung has released its findings laying the blame on battery malfunctions in the negative electrode layers of the lithium-ion batteries that were incorrectly positioned.
The Galaxy Note 7 lithium-ion batteries were arranged in three layers: a positive electrode, a negative one and a third physical layer acting as a separator between the first two. When the first two layers touch, they have the potential to short circuit the battery.
Samsung’s mobile business chief, Dong-jin Koh says in the replacement units that were sent out, which contained batteries from a different supplier, the investigation found melted copper on the negative electrode area. Koh says welding issues led to contact between the positive and negative layers resulting in fires in the replacement devices.
