url: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/m60539.html Re: CS>Answer to Catherine, warning to Mike Monett... From: Mike Monett Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2003 11:17:10
I wrote: > Jason has removed this protection, and added one more battery to > the stack. This increases the hazard. The reason this increases the hazard is described by a battery engineer for Ray-O-Vac: -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Jon Brinkmann (jv...@virginia.edu) Subject: Re: Recharging ALKALINE batteries Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc, rec.radio.amateur.equipment Date: 1993-07-06 16:37:18 PST I used to be a Product Reliability Engineer for Ray-O-Vac. I strongly advise against attempting to recharge an alkaline battery unless it is designed to be recharged. Alkaline batteries can explode if reverse current is forced through them, as it is in recharging. In fact, placing a partially discharged alkaline battery in series with other fresh batteries can force a reverse current through the battery, causing it to explode. Since, unlike zinc-carbon (ordinary) batteries, alkaline batteries have a steel can, the explosion can be lethal. All alkaline batteries are designed with a safety vent in the cap, but I wouldn't trust my life or limbs to that little piece of plastic! If pressure build fast enough, the can can still explode. http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&frame=right&th=3a2dde59c3f7e15c&seekm=C9rnpC.Btu%40murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU -------------------------------------------------------------------- This was posted in 1993 - ten years ago. Alkalines have far greater energy now than they did at that time. There are many references to the fact the safety vent is not reliable. Numerous accounts on the newsgroups show Alkalines often explode. Here's just one: -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Roger Riordan (rogerrior...@netspace.net.au) Subject: Re: Alkaline battery explodes in flash Newsgroups: aus.photo Date: 2001-02-28 03:28:08 PST On Wed, 28 Feb 2001 16:46:17 +1000, "Matthew MacLean/bigpond.com" <matthew.macl...@bigpond.com> wrote: > I had a alkaline AA battery explode in my Canon 380EX the other > day. Anybody had a similar experience. Battery was relatively new > and the others showed near full charge when removed. No damage to > flash gun, but battery was distorted and completely discharged > with insides all through battery compartment. Some other canon > flash says do not use alkaline but not this model. Sounds as if there must have been a short circuit in your flash. A fully charged battery contains a significant amount of energy. Normally this is dissipated in the load (ie in working the flash), but if the battery is shorted it will all be dissipated as heat inside the battery, and with higher energy batteries can easily boil the electrolyte, causing the battery to explode. The flash units would have to be very poorly designed if they could not operate from an alkaline battery of the correct voltage. Roger Riordan http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&frame=right&th=4c1303e0fef2f88c&seekm=4vkp9tc55b8rfvalg8eknurfbkhu8mpaog%404ax.com -------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Roger may be unaware that operating a weak Alkaline in series with fresh ones may cause cell reversal and result in an explosion. With the battery encased in a steel jacket, it could cause grevious harm. The leads in Jason's design are very short. The newbie's hands are right next to the battery stack. Best Regards, Mike Monett -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. Instructions for unsubscribing may be found at: http://silverlist.org To post, address your message to: silver-list@eskimo.com Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <mdev...@eskimo.com>
