What I find surprising is that it just blew up in his face as he was finishing a draw. Would he not have had any warning signs that something is not right? Like things getting hot or sparks. Sorry I am no too familiar with 18650s blowing up.
Mech Mod Blows up in Teen's Face !
- Thread starter EdT586
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Mech mods are like the F1 of e-cigs, for purists only !
Somehow I can never get myself a regulated mod because they cost more and are more fragile than mech mod. The only day in the future is when they come out with a VW box mod that is machined out of SS before I consider one.
Another "hybrid" top cap mech mod explosion. Uneducated/ignorant users attempt to use normal 510 connector juice attachments on these and cause a hard short, causing the battery to go into thermal runaway. These mods can only use a juice attachment which has an extended center pin.
It is extremely rare for an IMR or INR battery to actually explode. They generally just release gas.
May I quote Mooch...
"... lets define the two different events that can occur if the battery is abused too hard; venting and thermal runaway.
-- Venting --
Venting is a purely physical process that releases excess pressure that forms inside a battery if it is discharged too quickly or charged at too high a voltage. Both of these situations cause excess gas to be created and that increases the pressure inside the battery.
Each battery has a pre-weakened area of metal underneath the top contact. At a certain pressure level the weakened metal splits open and allows the pressure to escape. The solvent for the battery's electrolyte often oozes or sprays out too. This can be a problem because not only is it toxic but venting typically happens at around 130°C-160°C, which means the liquid is very hot.
Venting can be a rather gentle event or it can be a pretty energetic spurting and spraying of gas and liquid. Be careful, that liquid is toxic and flammable! The battery does not burst and there are no sparks or flames. The amount of gas produced is relatively small and can usually be handled quite easily by the venting holes we see in mods.
Once a battery vents, even just a little, it is ruined and should never be used again.
-- Thermal Runaway --
This is a catastrophic failure due to uncontrolled chemical reactions inside the battery. It always results in the bursting of the battery, sometimes quite violently, and can be accompanied by sparks and flames.
As the temperature of the battery rises during a discharge, certain exothermic chemical reactions can start as the temperature goes above about 75°C. This is the beginning of the process that can lead to thermal runaway if these reactions are not stopped.
If not being discharged too quickly, or the battery is being cooled a bit by ambient air flow or a metal mechanical mod tube, these new reactions can stabilize at a certain rate and not continue to increase the battery temperature. If the discharge current level is too high, or there's no cooling, then these reactions keep increasing the temperature of the battery. This causes more exothermic reactions to begin, which heats up the battery even more, which causes even more reactions to begin, and so on.
As the battery reaches about 125°C the plastic sheet (the "separator") between the two sides of the battery, positive and negative, begins to melt. This can lead to small short circuits forming at different points in the battery. These short circuits increase the temperature at those points, further increasing the rate that the battery temperature rises.
As the temperature continues to rise certain compounds start decomposing and releasing large amounts of gas. This increases the pressure inside the battery and, hopefully, leads to venting of the battery to release the pressure. But if the temperature and pressure buildup happens quickly enough, the battery won't vent in time.
At about 230°C - 270°C the thermal runaway threshold temperature is reached. This is where there the materials inside the battery are decomposing incredibly fast. There is a huge buildup of gas and the battery bursts open, often ejecting its contents and throwing pieces of battery a long distance. Depending on the threshold temperature the solvent can also ignite, resulting in a fireball to accompany the shrapnel.
While it can be quite violent, this isn't the explosion seen in a few videos that have made their way through the vaping groups and forums. Those explosions happen when a device doesn't have a pop off side panel or large open areas for the pressure to escape. The device holds back the gases for a bit but eventually it can't withstand the increasing pressure and it explodes.
It is quite difficult, but not impossible, to bring the temperature of a battery up quickly enough to go into thermal runaway without it venting first. About the only way to do it is with a short circuit.
Both venting and thermal runaway can take hours to occur or they can happen very quickly. You will typically be able to feel a battery getting hot before it vents but do not assume the same for preventing thermal runaway. That depends on a very, very fast rise in temperature, happening before the battery can vent. You might not feel the battery get hot first.
How do we prevent thermal runaway then? Never allow our batteries to be short circuited! Keep your battery wraps and top insulating rings in perfect condition, replacing them when necessary. Never use an atomizer with a press-fit or spring-loaded 510 pin on a hybrid top mechanical mod. Always make sure that the 510 pin sticks out past the threaded stem of the atomizer."
The mod itself most likely exploded because there was inadequate venting for the battery. Without proper vent holes the enclosed metal tube becomes a pipe bomb when the gas production increases air pressure within the mod.
It is extremely rare for an IMR or INR battery to actually explode. They generally just release gas.
May I quote Mooch...
"... lets define the two different events that can occur if the battery is abused too hard; venting and thermal runaway.
-- Venting --
Venting is a purely physical process that releases excess pressure that forms inside a battery if it is discharged too quickly or charged at too high a voltage. Both of these situations cause excess gas to be created and that increases the pressure inside the battery.
Each battery has a pre-weakened area of metal underneath the top contact. At a certain pressure level the weakened metal splits open and allows the pressure to escape. The solvent for the battery's electrolyte often oozes or sprays out too. This can be a problem because not only is it toxic but venting typically happens at around 130°C-160°C, which means the liquid is very hot.
Venting can be a rather gentle event or it can be a pretty energetic spurting and spraying of gas and liquid. Be careful, that liquid is toxic and flammable! The battery does not burst and there are no sparks or flames. The amount of gas produced is relatively small and can usually be handled quite easily by the venting holes we see in mods.
Once a battery vents, even just a little, it is ruined and should never be used again.
-- Thermal Runaway --
This is a catastrophic failure due to uncontrolled chemical reactions inside the battery. It always results in the bursting of the battery, sometimes quite violently, and can be accompanied by sparks and flames.
As the temperature of the battery rises during a discharge, certain exothermic chemical reactions can start as the temperature goes above about 75°C. This is the beginning of the process that can lead to thermal runaway if these reactions are not stopped.
If not being discharged too quickly, or the battery is being cooled a bit by ambient air flow or a metal mechanical mod tube, these new reactions can stabilize at a certain rate and not continue to increase the battery temperature. If the discharge current level is too high, or there's no cooling, then these reactions keep increasing the temperature of the battery. This causes more exothermic reactions to begin, which heats up the battery even more, which causes even more reactions to begin, and so on.
As the battery reaches about 125°C the plastic sheet (the "separator") between the two sides of the battery, positive and negative, begins to melt. This can lead to small short circuits forming at different points in the battery. These short circuits increase the temperature at those points, further increasing the rate that the battery temperature rises.
As the temperature continues to rise certain compounds start decomposing and releasing large amounts of gas. This increases the pressure inside the battery and, hopefully, leads to venting of the battery to release the pressure. But if the temperature and pressure buildup happens quickly enough, the battery won't vent in time.
At about 230°C - 270°C the thermal runaway threshold temperature is reached. This is where there the materials inside the battery are decomposing incredibly fast. There is a huge buildup of gas and the battery bursts open, often ejecting its contents and throwing pieces of battery a long distance. Depending on the threshold temperature the solvent can also ignite, resulting in a fireball to accompany the shrapnel.
While it can be quite violent, this isn't the explosion seen in a few videos that have made their way through the vaping groups and forums. Those explosions happen when a device doesn't have a pop off side panel or large open areas for the pressure to escape. The device holds back the gases for a bit but eventually it can't withstand the increasing pressure and it explodes.
It is quite difficult, but not impossible, to bring the temperature of a battery up quickly enough to go into thermal runaway without it venting first. About the only way to do it is with a short circuit.
Both venting and thermal runaway can take hours to occur or they can happen very quickly. You will typically be able to feel a battery getting hot before it vents but do not assume the same for preventing thermal runaway. That depends on a very, very fast rise in temperature, happening before the battery can vent. You might not feel the battery get hot first.
How do we prevent thermal runaway then? Never allow our batteries to be short circuited! Keep your battery wraps and top insulating rings in perfect condition, replacing them when necessary. Never use an atomizer with a press-fit or spring-loaded 510 pin on a hybrid top mechanical mod. Always make sure that the 510 pin sticks out past the threaded stem of the atomizer."
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I've never seen a mechanical mod with a USB adapter for recharging...
Genuine question here, are most of these "mod exploded in persons face / pocket" incidents relating to hybrids? Or to put it another way - people using hybrids without using an atomiser with protruding centre pin?
It's difficult to say for sure, because its difficult to learn the facts from media reports.
Details are always scarce: Civil lawsuits usually impose gag orders on the participants. News media reports tell the "what", but rarely report the "how" or "why". Rarely do we learn what mod it was, what batteries were involved, or what resistance was being used. Unfortunately, we are only left to second guess the victims and even berate them for not knowing their equipment and unfairly calling them "idiots".
If photos of the explosion are included in the media reports, some people can identify the mod. Sometimes the name of the mod is included in the report, but this is rare. However, many people believe that the more recent explosions have been with direct battery/faux hybrid mechanical mods because of their popularity with younger "cloud chasers".
Viewing pictures of these mechanical mod explosions, it appears clear that the mods blow their top off. This is most likely due to inadequate or the absence of ventilation holes to allow the escape of hot gas that accumulates inside the mod during battery thermal runaway. In effect, the mod literally becomes a pipe bomb.
Beginner's Guide to Your First Mechanical Mod
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This is the bit I find quite irritating, we could further educate ourselves if we had this information. I actually have a Phantom mod and I've been eyeing it suspiciously ever since I started reading this thread.
It's really annoying because I was using it this morning with good batteries and a safe resistance for said batteries.
Makes me second guess myself, which is stupid really!
Ban them e-cigarettes! They blow up in your face! Ban the wall outlets too! My fork isn't compatible with it!
In all seriousness these "articles" are all about fear mongering and money. I wouldn't be so surprised if half of them were fake due to the lack of information and evidence.
In all seriousness these "articles" are all about fear mongering and money. I wouldn't be so surprised if half of them were fake due to the lack of information and evidence.
Which top cap are you using? The 510 or "hybrid".
If using the 510 top cap, then the Phantom is like any other mechanical mod.
If using the "hybrid" top cap, then the only juice attachment you can use is one with an extended center pin. This design just adds one more thing to routinely check for: checking the length of the center pin each time you place it on the mod. Pretty simple really, but many novices are not aware of this and unfortunately pay the consequences.
The 510 top cap, I haven't and probably wont use the hybrid cap.
Hybrids aren't for me, I decided that a while back. I've only recently started using mechs anyway but I've had no issues so far, my builds are solid, my battery safety is good, I check and re-check things often. Just taking things slow with it all, but enjoying it all the same
I have a Phantom, too. I have never taken the faux hybrid top cap out of the box, except to photograph it for a series of "don't do that" pics. It's on my desk as I type, topped with a Sapor. Solid little mod. I like it. The 510 battery rattle adjustment is kinda janky, but for the price, it's not easy to beat a Phantom.
It seems like a nice mod to me, I have only used it a couple of times but I do like it
I'm just getting used to building for mechs, I've had to take a step back down from my claptons / alien claptons. I didn't consider the ramp up time on a single 18650! Got a pair of 8 wrap parallel 26g coils on there and that seems to be spot on.
This whole concept of "hybrid" seems overly dangerous to me.. and for what real benefit?
Does the Phantom even have vent holes? I didn't see any in that review. I guess if this was a worst case thermal runaway incident, (considering the extent of the damage to the kid's face and the fact that it broke a couple of his teeth, that's what it looks like), a few tiny vent holes wouldn't matter that much anyway.
Does the Phantom even have vent holes? I didn't see any in that review. I guess if this was a worst case thermal runaway incident, (considering the extent of the damage to the kid's face and the fact that it broke a couple of his teeth, that's what it looks like), a few tiny vent holes wouldn't matter that much anyway.
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They say the purpose of the direct battery connection is to cut voltage drop. Depends on the center pin material, but I don't think it has a huge effect. The Phantom vents out the bottom, around the button.
I believe the idea is to eliminate any battery voltage loss from a mod's 510 center pin. By not having a 510 center pin, battery voltage from the battery goes directly to the atomizer, and not going through a 510 center pin whose resistance might cause some insignificant voltage loss. I agree, it seems overly dangerous for very little benefit.
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Old news is old...
He was using a tank with a floating center pin on a "faux" hybrid mechanical mod it wasn't designed to be on...
Simply over tightening a tank with a floating pin can cause it to short.
There's about 4-5 ventings now caused by using a aspire tank on a mechanical mod....
bad combo...
He was using a tank with a floating center pin on a "faux" hybrid mechanical mod it wasn't designed to be on...
Simply over tightening a tank with a floating pin can cause it to short.
There's about 4-5 ventings now caused by using a aspire tank on a mechanical mod....
bad combo...
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