Why would a laptop battery swell?

Why would a laptop battery swell? This is a question we tend to ask ourselves when we see that our laptop batteries become swollen. When the battery of your laptop swells, it is said to be bloated or distended. When the battery of your laptop becomes bloated, it is unable to fit into the compartment reserved for it. There are some cases of swollen laptop batteries resulting in a damaged laptop chassis. This usually happens during the expansion process of the bloated battery. As it tries to expand, it can end up warping the laptop chassis. This can also affect the keyboard, the touchpad, or the display. The swollen laptop battery can make these components bulge out and tear open.

Lithium-ion batteries and swelling

The majority of laptops that we use these days make use of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are prone to the process of swelling. Is it dangerous to have lithium-ion batteries that are swollen? Certainly, swollen batteries are dangerous. They are susceptible to explosions or fire outbreaks. Also, it is not advisable to remove the swollen battery from your laptop without having the necessary technical knowledge. It is also not safe to leave one on the laptop or keep the laptop running with one. With that said, if you discover that the laptop has a swollen battery, it is best to quickly remove it as fast as you can. Then again, people should be careful and try not to remove the swollen battery by themselves. This is not a safe DIY task.

Things to do if you discover that your laptop battery is swollen

If you discover that the battery of your laptop is bloated and is trying to break open from its compartment, stop using the laptop. Turn off the laptop and insert the laptop into a firebox vessel or box. You should then take it to a good PC repair technician. They should be able to safely take off the battery and get your device in proper working condition again.

Bloated laptop batteries: What would cause my laptop battery to swell?

If you discover that your laptop battery is bloated, several causes can be responsible for this problem. Some reasons are age, heat, and excess charge cycles. This can all increase the chances of getting a bloated laptop battery. Moreover, the bloated laptop battery can also be due to manufacturer defects or it could be due to some form of physical damage to the battery.

The chemistry of a bloated laptop battery

In any condition that you have a bloated laptop battery, there is usually a deviation from the normal working condition of the laptop. This means that the battery is unable to correctly execute the required chemical reaction that is used to generate the power needed by the laptop. Due to these defective chemical reactions, there are gases are produced. These could be carbon dioxide and other hazardous gases. The gases tend to build up over time. This gas buildup will then lead to the swelling up of the battery, and will then cause it to become bloated. This is why some laptops end up having bloated batteries.

Solution for a swollen laptop battery

A swollen laptop battery cannot be fixed or repaired. The only way to fix it is to remove and replace it.