Check your batteries

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

You'll laugh at this. My wife found an old Maglite, the 6xD cell combination torch and night stick, among the past tools of her predecessor in post. She's used it ever since, but brought it home yesterday evening returning directly from a site inspection commenting that it wasn't as bright as it used to be. Well, it was bit of fight getting the batts out as it was messily corroded inside from 5 out of 6 leaking Duracells, dated Mar 2007. These were the type that had a pair of test buttons to push to check remaining charge. The leaking had likely initiated through the test buttons, judging from the neat electrochemically eroded pits in the alumin/ium/um wall of the torch body. But get this, the unleaked cell and the next best one still showed 50% charge available when tested, and all the cells were still outputting...

[Horsetan]

.... 5 out of 6 leaking Duracells, dated Mar 2007. These were the type that had a pair of test buttons to push to check remaining charge. The leaking had likely initiated through the test buttons, judging from the neat electrochemically eroded pits in the alumin/ium/um wall of the torch body. But get this, the unleaked cell and the next best one still showed 50% charge available when tested, and all the cells were still outputting...

 

I think you might still be able to obtain a battery recharger that can cope with alkaline batteries. Do you feel lucky? 

[Trainshed Terry]

There was a program on BBC 1 yesterday called "Fake Britain" that did a piece on "Lit-ion Battery's" for mobile phone and other mobile devices,

Well it blew my mind as how many fake battery,s and the dangers of the fake battery's 

 

Not sure if you can get the aforementioned program on the BBC iPlayer.

Terry    

[HeeleyBridge]

I think my batteries need recharging. I could be like the Duracell bunny if they were ...

[Horsetan]

.... I could be like the Duracell bunny if they were ...

 

Best make sure that motor is properly balanced, otherwise there could be a lot of vibration.

[HeeleyBridge]

[Horsetan]

Parkour bunny?

[jjb1970]

I'm not sure if it made it to youtube but at work I have a scary video of an ROV battery exploding on the deck of a ship. Watching it you could easily mistake it for thinking the ship has just been hit by a 1000lb bomb.

[BR60103]

Proposed project for chemistry/chem eng students. A material that will take off the stuff that comes out of batteries. May need a different stuff for all different types.

Also something that will take the leakage off circuit boards without destrying them.

 

I've cleaned up some items with vinegar, but only on the contacts and springs.

[RhBBob]

But get this, the unleaked cell and the next best one still showed 50% charge available when tested, and all the cells were still outputting...

 

Yes, when changing the 'multiple battery' items it is wise to check the beasts before disposal !  Often it is just one of the two/three/four that has given up.

 

Also I save any 1.5 volt batteries still showing 1 volts or more !!

 

Mean ? Moi ? Of course....

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Proposed project for chemistry/chem eng students. A material that will take off the stuff that comes out of batteries. May need a different stuff for all different types.

Also something that will take the leakage off circuit boards without destroying them.

 

 The 'different stuff for different types' and 'without destroying' are the real challenges there, to which we may add the necessary 'with no hazard to user or others'. Consider that the corroding agents may come into contact with a wide range of metals, and the resulting salts will not all be readily soluble in the relatively safe range of chemicals that may safely be placed in the hands of knowlessmen.

 

Practically, hot water is the place to start, then warmed vinegar. And wear rubber gloves which are disposed of afterwards, just in case something has managed to get a real nasty like Cadmium into solution.

[petethemole]

I agree about keeping AA and AAA  batteries with some charge left, usually out of a torch or the cameras that use that type. They are ideal for wireless mice, which run happily for weeks on the remaining charge. I keep said batteries by the computer, handy for a quick change. They also go in the TV remote but don't last long in that.

[luckymucklebackit]

I'm not sure if it made it to youtube but at work I have a scary video of an ROV battery exploding on the deck of a ship. Watching it you could easily mistake it for thinking the ship has just been hit by a 1000lb bomb.

 

That could have been a Thermal Battery going wrong, used to work in the place they made them, even the small ones could be spectacular if a stray static charge found its way to the wrong place!

 

Jim

[kevinlms]

Those items with button batteries can be a real problem, as the batteries can be swallowed by small children.

 

The real danger is that it may not be realised that they have done so & the results can be deadly. Even hospitals have been known to send them home with runny noses etc. An appalling way to die.

 

http://www.kidspot.com.au/health/family-health/real-life/warnings-after-another-battery-swallowing-tragedy

 

 

[exet1095]

Don't mix batteries at different states of charge if they are in parallel. They can get very hot indeed!

[Fat Controller]

 The 'different stuff for different types' and 'without destroying' are the real challenges there, to which we may add the necessary 'with no hazard to user or others'. Consider that the corroding agents may come into contact with a wide range of metals, and the resulting salts will not all be readily soluble in the relatively safe range of chemicals that may safely be placed in the hands of knowlessmen.

 

Practically, hot water is the place to start, then warmed vinegar. And wear rubber gloves which are disposed of afterwards, just in case something has managed to get a real nasty like Cadmium into solution.

Should you visit a French supermarket at any point, then you'll find 5 litre containers of spirit vinegar 10% acidity, whatever that means. It's odourless and colourless, and doesn't leave residual stickiness from the caramel colouring. Price is about 2.5 Euros. It's also good for descaling kettles etc.

[tamperman36]

When I was working in a timber yard several years ago a work mate had a near miss with an Electric fork truck. He'd opened the bonnet to check the water levels in the batteries and he dropped a large spanner onto the top of battiries, there was a large shower of sparks and the spanner left at high speed in a cloud of smoke. Luckily no one was injured but it woke everyone up.

[Tim V]

When I was working in a timber yard several years ago a work mate had a near miss with an Electric fork truck. He'd opened the bonnet to check the water levels in the batteries and he dropped a large spanner onto the top of battiries, there was a large shower of sparks and the spanner left at high speed in a cloud of smoke. Luckily no one was injured but it woke everyone up.

Lucky it didn't ignite the hydrogen....

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Should you visit a French supermarket at any point, then you'll find 5 litre containers of spirit vinegar 10% acidity, whatever that means...

 I'd guess that means 10% by weight or volume is ethanoic acid, balance water. Much like what you would get by allowing low alcohol content wine or unusable beer to naturally convert to vinegar, most likely source of spirit vinegar in France.