If you think that a car battery explosion is such a a rarity, you are wrong. Even in the United States, where people are accustomed to following all sorts of instructions, about 10,000 such cases are recorded annually. Why do batteries sometimes explode?

At the last stage of the battery charge, the decomposition of water, which is part of the electrolyte, into hydrogen and oxygen (electrolyte boiling) occurs. A mixture of these gases accumulates under the battery cover. Usually these gases go outside through special gas outlets and safely dissipate outside the battery, but if these holes are clogged with dirt, then the hydrogen-oxygen mixture, having accumulated under the cover, can explode from a spark, the occurrence of which between the battery plates becomes possible due to a decrease in the electrolyte level , from which gases evaporate, and exposing the upper parts of the plates.

Even in the case of the safe removal of gases from the battery, the risk of explosion remains if the hydrogen-oxygen mixture does not dissipate, but accumulates near the battery. This often happens when motorists "wrap" the battery to warm it in the winter season.

And then all it takes is a spark from a faulty electrical system, a cigarette you didn't throw away before opening the hood, or even static electricity from synthetic clothing, and bam!

Experts say that the explosion of a car battery is similar in power to a shot from a hunting rifle of the twelfth caliber. Most likely, the explosion will not be fatal for you, but there is a risk of very serious injuries from flying fragments of the body, especially in the face and eyes.

The danger of a battery explosion increases especially when you try to start the engine from an external source of current, if your battery does not provide a start and a hydrogen-oxygen mixture is released from it.

Therefore, when trying to start the engine from an external current source, it is necessary to follow simple safety rules, namely:

1. Turn off all vehicle electrical equipment before disconnecting the wire.
2. Avoid contact between the bodies of your car and the car whose battery is used external source current.
3. Do not touch the car body while starting.
4. Do not smoke.
5. Tuck in the loose parts of the clothing, fasten the collar and cuffs of the sleeves.
6. Wear safety goggles.

About the author: Andrey Strashko

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Made according to the traditional lead acid technology are safe sources of electricity. They work by an electrochemical reaction that does not cause serious danger when proper maintenance and battery operation. At the same time, the battery charge is accompanied by the release of a special gas (oxygen-hydrogen mixture), which is formed in the process of electrolytic decomposition of water. This mixture accumulates inside the case, and if it is sealed, under certain circumstances, it can really cause an explosion.

Naturally, battery developers are aware of the potential danger, which, in order to remove gases from the case, provide small, barely visible holes or drain tubes. Due to their presence, the gas mixture can freely go outside when a certain pressure inside the housing is reached. But imagine a situation in which the gas outlets are closed.

This can happen for the elementary cause of pollution. In this case, even a small spark will be enough to ignite the combustible gas, and in the absence of sufficient space for combustion, the battery will explode. Moreover, the battery can explode quite strongly - the battery case in this case without special work will break into pieces. And that's not all! By itself, the explosion is unlikely to bring serious violations, it can only scare. But the sulfuric acid contained in the electrolyte will cause much more damage, especially to health. It is toxic and can cause severe burns.

But this happens once every five years, you say. Yes, conditionally it is. Indeed, a battery explosion is a rather rare situation. However, they do happen, so paying extra attention to the battery and its condition won't hurt. In order to be convinced of the potential for danger, consider one simple example: let's take the fact that the voltage regulator in a car does not work properly (which happens, by the way, is not so rare), due to which the battery is constantly recharged, and the drain holes are clogged with dirt. A few hours after improper charging, an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen forms in the battery case. Under the condition of a reduced volume of electrolyte, there will be more than enough space for its accumulation, and at the first opportunity such a mixture will explode. Speaking of the possibility, we mean not only external factors, because a spark can appear even inside the battery - due to a short circuit of the plates, for example.

Is it possible to reduce the likelihood of an explosion?

Of course, the main condition for minimizing this possibility is the observance of several elementary rules:

• Do not use open flame sources near battery.
• When servicing the battery, wear only clothing that does not accumulate static electricity.
• Connect the terminals correctly, starting with the positive electrode and ending with the "minus".
• Turn off all devices before disconnecting the wires from the battery.

And the last thing - do not use handicraft or non-certified devices, use only modern, safe

Frequent problem in winter period- this is a complete discharge of the battery when trying to start the engine. In such cases, the quickest and most obvious solution to this problem seems to be asking a neighbor to give a "light" from his car, which in most cases helps, but few people imagine that this action carries great danger. This danger is the explosion of the battery, which is accompanied by a rupture of the battery case with the expansion of plastic fragments. In addition, within a few meters, everything will be covered with acid from the battery, including the person who connected the terminals to it. This, of course, is the worst possible scenario, since the explosion of the battery may be less strong, but is it worth the risk and how can the likelihood of a battery explosion be reduced?

Causes of Battery Explosion Conditions

When the engine does not want to start, you turn it with a starter for a long time. Discharge battery goes with great speed, the intensity of chemical processes increases, which leads to rapid heating of the electrolyte up to its boiling. During the boiling process, a large amount of the gas mixture is released inside the battery. In addition, distilled water from the electrolyte decomposes into hydrogen and oxygen during the boiling process. Part of the oxygen with a negative charge settles on the positive plates of the battery and oxidizes them, which negatively affects its service life. But the rest of the oxygen and hydrogen in the form of bubbles, creating the illusion of boiling, rise to the surface of the electrolyte and accumulate under the battery cover. The mixing of gases under the battery cover leads to rapid increase their volume, the temperature of this gas mixture rises.

Options for the development of events

If you kept the battery clean and the holes in the plugs are not clogged, then the gas mixture is bled through them and accumulates in engine compartment.

Most worst case occurs when you have completely discharged the battery, which, in the process of rapid discharge, bled a large amount of the gas mixture into the engine compartment. You ask a neighbor to give you a "light", connect the terminals, a spark jumps, which ignites a highly flammable gas mixture - an explosion occurs.

It is worth noting a few more factors that increase the likelihood and strength of a battery explosion:

• Low electrolyte level, which increases the amount of gas mixture.
• Blocking of holes for bleeding gas in the battery plugs as a result of their clogging or errors in the insulation of the battery in the winter. It is worth noting here that warming the battery in winter is the right decision, which has a positive effect on its operation, but you need to pay attention to not blocking the discharge holes during the warming process. overpressure in the battery covers.
• Severe wear of the battery can lead to an internal short circuit and an explosion of gases accumulated inside the battery without external factors or when shaken. Therefore, it is worth taking some time to check the quality of the battery mounts in the engine compartment and.
• Wrong sequence and place of throwing "crocodiles" for lighting. Throwing both wires on the terminals of a discharged battery can lead to a spark in the place of the greatest accumulation of gases released from the battery, which will lead to their explosion.

How to properly “light up” a dead battery?

1. Put out the cigarette, the auto-ignition temperature of hydrogen sulfide is only 100 degrees, and the temperature of a smoldering cigarette is 300 degrees, rising to 1000 with puffs. Open the hood of a car with a dead battery and leave it in this state for several minutes to give time for the gases accumulated in the engine compartment to leave him.
2. If the donor car has not been started, then you need to bring its battery to working condition. Start the donor car and let it run for a few minutes, this will warm up the battery and increase its efficiency.
3. Stop the engine.
4. IMPORTANT: With all the wire connections described below, it is necessary to carefully approach the quality of these connections, namely: to ensure good and stable contact of the "crocodiles" with the parts to be connected. Negligence in this matter greatly reduces the chances of a positive outcome of the entire event. Therefore, we avoid connecting to dirty parts, paint or grease.
5. Connect the positive wire of the "crocodile" to the positive terminal of the discharged battery, then put the other end on the positive terminal of the donor car.
6. The negative wire is connected in the reverse order: first it is thrown onto the negative terminal of the donor machine, and only then connected to engine ground(alternatively, it can be connected closer to the starter or to the towing eye). ATTENTION: It is IMPOSSIBLE to connect a negative to the terminal of a discharged battery (forbidden for start-stop systems).
7. Leave the cars in this state for 7-10 minutes. A discharged battery has almost zero resistance and will take on most of the supplied current, so you need to let it charge a little - this will increase it internal resistance factor of.
8. Start the donor car. Do not accelerate, the engine must run on idling. If you gas up, you can burn diode bridge generator.
9. In order to level the possible damage from power surges, turn on powerful current consumers on the “lighted” car: heating rear window, heating. Headlights do not need to be turned on - drive out onto the roads with burned-out lamps common use prohibited by law.
10. Only now we have reached the moment when you can start a car with a dead battery. Start up.
11. Do not turn off the donor car. His battery could be dead, just like yours.
12. ATTENTION: Disconnecting the lighting wires must be carried out in the reverse order: first disconnect the negative wire, and then the positive one.

Starting the engine from the start-charger

Instead of a donor car, you can use a starter charger if you have somewhere to connect it or you have a portable (portable) starter charger. The connection process is similar to the previous option, except that we connect the minus wire not to ground, but to the “minus” battery terminal. Also pay attention to the fact that in the process of starting the car, if possible, first turn the ignition key, and then turn it on starter-charger.

Elimination of the consequences of a battery explosion

If the explosion of the battery could not be avoided and electrolyte got on you, then to neutralize it, use a solution of ammonia or a ten percent raster of soda ash. Thoroughly wipe all areas of skin and clothing that have been exposed to electrolyte. After that, rinse these parts with plain water. All other surfaces on which the electrolyte has got, rinse with a solution of soda.

If electrolyte drops get into your eyes, immediately flush them with a 5% solution of baking soda and plenty of water and go to the nearest hospital IMMEDIATELY.

Why does a battery explode?

If the maintenance rules are not followed, the main of which is the timely topping up of distilled water into the battery banks to maintain the electrolyte level above the plates (10-20 mm in old designs and 20-40 mm in new ones), car batteries have a reduced performance in the engine start mode and the reliability of their operation decreases.

From the theory of operation of lead car batteries, it is known that the process of charging them (in a car or on a stationary stand) is accompanied by the decomposition of water in the electrolyte into gas - hydrogen and oxygen. Part of the released oxygen (in the atomic state has a negative charge) settles on the strands of the grids of the positive plates, oxidizing them and reducing the battery life. The other part of the released oxygen and hydrogen come out of the electrolyte to the surface, creating the appearance of its "boiling", accumulate under the covers in each car battery bank.

If the holes in the plugs are not clogged with dirt and there are no obstructions, then the gas is easily dispersed into environment through these holes. A gas consisting mainly of a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen (other gases are also present in a certain amount in this mixture) in the presence of a spark (open flame) burns in an explosive mode. The strength of the explosion and its consequences entirely depend on the amount (volume) of gas accumulated by that moment in the enclosed space.

For example, with an increased value of the charging voltage from the generator (in the event of a malfunction in the voltage regulator), the intensity of gas formation inside the battery increases and, consequently, its release increases. With a low electrolyte level (no regular topping up), the gas volume under the lids of the cans inside the car battery case increases, which proportionally increases the strength of a possible explosion.

Accumulation of gas near the battery can be facilitated by the applied insulation of the battery in winter time in order to maintain its thermal balance. Under the conditions described, any appearance of a spark (from a faulty electrical wiring, or the presence of an open fire, for example, a cigarette) is dangerous for a car battery - an explosion and destruction of the battery case occurs.

Hull parts, when destroyed, can cause damage to surrounding objects and people. The occurrence of a spark is also possible from the wires at the points of their connection with the pole conclusions at the time of the occurrence of a load on car battery or when shaking (when the terminals of the battery and inner surface tips are not cleaned of oxides, normal electrical contact is disturbed).

Sparking is also possible between parts within the battery itself when the electrolyte level is well below the top edges of the plates. So, violations of safety regulations and battery maintenance regime, deviation technical indicators components of electrical equipment from established standards, cause the accumulation of released "explosive" gas inside the cans, the occurrence of an explosion and the destruction of the car battery case.

If the internal connections in the battery after a gas explosion remain operational (checked by a discharge on a probe plug), then it can be assumed that there is no defect in the battery and there was not, and the cause of the explosion is related to non-compliance with the operating rules and an external spark. The presence of cracks on the side walls of the battery case and damage to the internal partitions between the banks of the car battery indicate a low electrolyte level.

In cans with a normal level of liquid, the walls of the body are protected by it from the pressure of the explosion and do not receive damage - in this case, cracks can only be on the lid. Such a case is non-warranty and cannot be the basis for a free replacement of the battery or reimbursement of its cost, even if it took place at the time of the current warranty period specified by the manufacturer.

To be fair, it should be noted that automatic systems fillings in the production of car batteries sometimes, obviously due to automation failures, do not add electrolyte to the batteries and in some cases they go on sale with an incomplete volume of filling cans, which creates the danger of gas accumulation and explosion. This happens in practice. Therefore, when installing a new battery on a car, it is important to monitor the presence of a normal electrolyte level in each bank (if there are traffic jams, of course). Sometimes this will keep you out of trouble.

This article will focus on a battery explosion: is it possible, the reasons for what to do and what is the first health care should appear.

One of the main sources of electricity in cars is the battery. It provides nourishment onboard network auto, and most importantly - the launch of the power plant.

Popular battery types

On vehicles, the most common are lead acid types battery.

Despite the use of an electrolyte (a solution of sulfuric acid in a distillate), which makes it possible to carry out chemical reactions accompanied by the release electrical discharge, such batteries are considered safe, but only conditionally.

batteries have sealed enclosures, which to the maximum prevent electrolyte leakage. But still they are only conditionally safe.

And all because the flow of an acid solution as a result of damage to the body (crack, etc.) is not the most dangerous, the greatest danger is the possibility of an explosion with the scattering of particles of the body and drops of electrolyte.

For many motorists, it may seem that the battery cannot explode, simply because there is nothing in its design related to explosive and flammable substances, but the fact remains that such cases do happen.

As noted, the operation of the battery is based on chemical reactions, which can cause the release of explosive substances.

And oddly enough, the appearance of such components is ensured by the presence of distilled water.

Note that a battery explosion is possible only when certain factors coincide. But first, a little theory.

Explosion theory, or why electrolyte boils

The battery on the car constantly works in the discharge-charge mode. For example, when starting, the starter consumes a large amount of energy, but after starting, the generator turns on, which restores the charge consumed by the battery, and this happens all the time.

At the same time, during the release of the charge in the battery, redox chemical processes take place, as a result of which lead sulfate is formed from ordinary lead.

In this case, lead oxide is reduced on the positive electrodes, and lead is oxidized on the negative electrodes.

All these processes are accompanied by the consumption of sulfuric acid, due to which the density of the electrolyte drops (the mass fraction of the acid decreases relative to the distillate).

When charging, the same processes occur, but in reverse order. As the charge, formed as a result of reactions during discharge, lead sulfate breaks down into its constituent parts.

And when it is completely consumed, the reaction does not stop, but another is already involved in it. component electrolyte - distillate.

After the charge is fully received, when there is no sulfate left, the process of electrolysis of distilled water begins, accompanied by its separation into its constituent components - hydrogen (released at the negative electrode) and oxygen (formed at the positive electrode).

But these components are already explosive, and their ignition is the result of a battery explosion.

Visually, the process of electrolysis looks like boiling of the electrolyte. Many motorists are just guided by this - if the battery is seething, then it is charged.

But in fact, the boiling of the electrolyte is the active release of combustible gases. There is no escape from these processes, they are necessary for the normal operation of the battery. And if you follow all safety measures, then the release of combustible gases does not threaten anything.

Causes of a battery explosion

The main cause of a battery explosion is the accumulation of a large amount of combustible gases and the occurrence of factors that lead to their ignition. And the release of gases begins to occur when the lead sulfate formed during the discharge is completely consumed.

That is, as soon as the battery restores its charge (consumes sulfate), the process of water decomposition begins. From this it turns out that the main cause of the explosion is the overcharging of the battery.

And a recharge can occur in two cases - a long one (put on recharging and forgot) and wrong job generator voltage regulator.

As for the first reason, this will not happen if the charger is automatic, and after the charge is fully restored, it stops supplying voltage.

And even with this charger all precautions for maintenance work must be fully complied with.

The second case is more common. The fact is that the maximum voltage that should be supplied from the generator to the battery should not exceed 14.2 V. If the regulator is faulty, then a larger voltage is often applied to the battery.

And since the car battery works in a cyclic mode, it recharges systematically, and hence the large amount of gases emitted.

Combustible gases accumulate under top cover batteries. To prevent this from happening, a housing ventilation system is provided (holes in the roofs of cans, a ventilation tube), which should remove the formed gases.

But careless battery operation is often accompanied by clogged vents, as a result, combustible components have nowhere to go, and they accumulate inside the battery.

The amount of these gases depends on the internal empty volume. In the battery banks, although there are packages of electrodes and an electrolyte, they do not occupy all the space, there remains a place reserved just for gases, which should be removed.

If the battery is not serviced, then the splitting of water leads to a decrease in the volume of electrolyte, as a result, the unoccupied volume increases, due to which more gas can accumulate inside the can, and the more there are, the probability of an explosion is higher, and its strength also increases.

Self-ignition

Gases themselves cannot explode, unless there are certain factors for this, which are not often formed in the battery. One of the options for self-ignition is mixing them with other components.

Let's look at this with an example. Often the engine does not want to start, and the driver turns it with a starter for a long time.

The battery is discharged with high speed, therefore, all chemical processes in the batteries are very intensive, which is accompanied by high heating of the electrolyte up to boiling, which is accompanied by the release of an abundant amount of gas mixtures.

Mixing them with hydrogen accumulated under the cover leads to a sharp increase in the volume and temperature of the gas mixture, and it simply breaks the case.

Therefore, it is impossible to turn on the starter for a long time, since this will not only land the battery, but can also cause it to explode.

Even if the battery after long work the starter has sat down, do not immediately "" from another car or battery.

If the gases did not spontaneously ignite, and the battery remained intact, this does not mean that they are not there.

And when connecting terminals from another battery to it, the probability of a spark slipping is very high.

Therefore, before lighting up, always give time for the discharged battery to cool down and the natural removal of accumulated gases.

Therefore, you should immediately take measures to neutralize drops that have fallen on the skin.

It is best to use a solution of ammonia or soda ash (10%) to eliminate on the skin and clothing areas. They need to treat all areas of the skin and clothing, and then rinse thoroughly and abundantly with running water.

When scattered, drops can get into the eyes, which is even worse. In this case, the victim must immediately rinse his eyes first with a 5% solution of baking soda, and then with plenty of running water.

After immediately take him to the hospital for medical treatment.

It is imperative to neutralize the spilled part of the electrolyte, for which all surfaces on which it has fallen should be washed abundantly with a solution of soda.

Preventive measures

But these are already measures that are taken in the event of a battery explosion. It is much easier to follow certain recommendations to avoid this phenomenon.