Exploded LR44...

ChrisR

ChrisR

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I had a couple of used LR44 batteries on a shelf, waiting for enough to make it worth while recycling them. Came back last week to find part of one 3 metres away across the room, and the other bit on the ground near the shelf! These are the remaining bits...



Not behaviour I had expected!
 
Hubba, good thing it wasn't in a camera..
 
ChrisR said:
I had a couple of used LR44 batteries on a shelf, waiting for enough to make it worth while recycling them. Came back last week to find part of one 3 metres away across the room, and the other bit on the ground near the shelf! These are the remaining bits...



Not behaviour I had expected!
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WoW...what's the make so I can avoid em.
 
Were they in direct sunlight perhaps?
 
trevorbray said:
Hubba, good thing it wasn't in a camera..
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Yes indeed!

excalibur2 said:
WoW...what's the make so I can avoid em.
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No idea, sorry. I tend to get my small batteries off t'internet (eg the Small Battery Company, IIRC, among others), and by the time they come out of the camera there's no brand information left. And these have now gone into the rubbish... didn't think they were worth recycling any more!

doofus said:
Were they in direct sunlight perhaps?
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No, well away from the light. Fairly cool location most of the time.

I'm guessing this is pretty uncommon, since no-one is coming up to say "me, too".

BTW, given that the insides of the battery were exposed, how dangerous to handle were they? I did pick them up bare-handed at first, but later decided to use rubber gloves!
 
ChrisR said:
BTW, given that the insides of the battery were exposed, how dangerous to handle were they? I did pick them up bare-handed at first, but later decided to use rubber gloves!
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You'll be radioactive for 100 years!:eek::D
 
You wouldn't want to swallow one but handling them won't do you much harm as long as you wash your hands properly afterwards. A quick rinse with vinegar should neutralise any of the alkali.
 
It looks very corroded internally, not that I have ever gone peering inside one, but how old was it?


Tried to get a better view of it on photobucket but all that wants to do is make into a 'Happy Holidays' greetings card :D
 
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It's advised that button cell batteries are given a quick wrap with tape once used, and before putting into the battery recycle box. A client had an advisory that because of their design the'yre more likely to short. Although there was only one incident nationally of enough heat being detected to have the potential for a fire.

I'm not sure if it's possible for the to self-short if they leak at the rim.
 
I recently opened up my old Tissot watch to find the battery had completely corroded and ruined the insides. I've never had any trouble before like this (cameras or anything else really), but I guess there's a lesson here about not leaving batteries in cameras when not in use for a few days. I have certainly never bothered taking them out, but perhaps it's worth getting into the habit. I tend to use silver oxide rather than alkaline cells in cameras but the same applies I'm sure.
 
TheGreatSoprendo said:
I recently opened up my old Tissot watch to find the battery had completely corroded and ruined the insides. I've never had any trouble before like this (cameras or anything else really), but I guess there's a lesson here about not leaving batteries in cameras when not in use for a few days. I have certainly never bothered taking them out, but perhaps it's worth getting into the habit. I tend to use silver oxide rather than alkaline cells in cameras but the same applies I'm sure.
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Vinegar, a cotton swab and quick rinse with surgical spirit and it'll be as good as new.
 
adrianday said:
Vinegar, a cotton swab and quick rinse with surgical spirit and it'll be as good as new.
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All depends on how far it has gone.

I once had to have an entirely new battery compartment in a speedlight.

Now I always remove all batteries if they are going to be out of use for more than a couple of weeks, that includes things like Pocket Wizards TT1 button cell as well as AA batteries.
 
I have never experienced this before either.

I keep my batteries in the cameras all the time, now I'm worried.
 
shreds said:
All depends on how far it has gone.

I once had to have an entirely new battery compartment in a speedlight.

Now I always remove all batteries if they are going to be out of use for more than a couple of weeks, that includes things like Pocket Wizards TT1 button cell as well as AA batteries.
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Well I suppose you can play safe and remove all batteries....but I've had an old quite large rectangular flat battery in my Russian multimeter for 30 years (just used now and again for continuity checks) and it still works with no corrosion. Why some batteries leak (or explode) is a mystery.
 
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