Fujitsu adds 287,000 batteries to Sony recall list

Stan Beer
Thursday, 05 October 2006 15:18

IT Industry - Strategy

Japanese computer maker Fujitsu has issued a recall of 287,000 Sony Lithium Ion notebook batteries, pushing the total number of defective Sony batteries to be replaced past the 7.5 million mark.

• Announcements

With six major notebook manufacturers already contributing to a snowballing battery replacement bill approaching US$300 million, Sony must be beginning to wonder when it will see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Sony Lithium Ion batteries at the root of the company's troubles in past months are believed to contain small metal particles that can under certain circumstances cause an internal short circuit, triggering the batteries to overheat and catch fire.

The Lithium Ion batteries made by Sony and some other manufacturers contain Cobalt Oxide which is used because of its high energy storage properties.

However, Cobalt Oxide can become unstable if overcharged in the case of an internal short. This in turn can lead to a dangerous feedback heating process called thermal runaway which in extreme cases can cause the batteries to explode into flames.

Some Lithium Ion battery manufacturers have opted to replace Cobalt Oxide with less volatile Iron Phosphate, sacrificing about 25% of battery storage capacity for the sake of safety.