Exploded NiCd Batteries

Don't charge them with a high current, especially if you don't know what you are doing.

Don't try charging any more until you've read up on the subject, and understand what you are doing.

Read the safety instructions before you start, so you'll know how to deal with hazardous material if a problem arises.

Michael

Might be worth asking your local fire service about clean up.

I heard Cadmium poisoning is quite nasty but had to google the following...

Health Issues In low levels, cadmium causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If inhaled, cadmium dust causes dryness of the throat, choking, headache, and pneumonia-like symptoms. The long-term effects of cadmium are not fully understood, but are thought to include heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. One of the most famous environmental diseases, itai-itai (Japanese for "ouch-ouch") has been attributed to cadmium poisoning

Death rare..

Cadmium is a persistent poison.

Studies by the National Institutes of Health reveal cadmium levels can remain for as long as three decades in the kidneys and about seven years in the liver.

A person with acute levels of cadmium in his system would experience flu-like symptoms including weakness, fever, headache, muscle ache, chills and sweating. The victim would develop pulmonary swelling from an accumulation of fluid, followed by death.

Sounds like you need a haz-mat suit, a pressure washer, a wet-dry vacuum and some 55 gallon drums in which to dispose of the stuff you wash off the walls, ceiling, and floor...

Unless you have proper voltage and current limiting, plus temperature sensing, NEVER charge nicads (or other rechargeable cells) at a rate greater than C/10 (1/10 of the cell's AH rating). If charging unattended, even the C/10 rate may cause loss of capacity after more than 14 hours (less if the cell is only partially discharged).

I have a HeathKit adjustable supply ( 50V 1.5A ) with both voltage and current limiting. I use it to charge all types of rechargeables (yes, even lithium cells) but only when the battery specs are available for setting the proper charging conditions.

I've been using rechargeables (nicad, NiMH, SLA, lithium) for more than 20 years with NO catastrophic failures.

John

Sounds to me like you just created yourself a fairly serious toxic-hazard site... Smooth move!

Better hope the EPA doesn't get wind of it, or you may find that you're the proud owner of a hole in the ground and a big cleanup bill.

(And no, I'm *NOT* kidding - Nickel is no big deal, but cadmium is one of those items on the lists of things that can get the EPA and similar outfits *REALLY* nervous - nervous to the point of "knock down the building and scrape the debris and the top 6 feet of dirt into sealed barrels, then truck it to a hazardous materials storage facility - it's the only way to be sure.")

...

...

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

FWIW, this happened because I was doing a fast charge. I'm usually very careful to stop the process as soon as there is any heat.

But this time I got called to dinner when I should have been watching the stew. Actually more like pop-corn!

On a more serious note, I am reminded about how familiarity breeds contempt and can often lead to compromising safety.

Anyway, cleaned up the mess. No real harm seems to have been done except I prolly blew up about $60.00 worth of nicad cells.

DOC Have robots. Will travel.

Having been in a retail company that sells a major amount of batteries in Canada, and with the technical e-learning that we had to do weekly I have a bit of information about NiCd's.

First what kind of NiCd's are they. It sounds like you have purchased a "speed" charger but are using standard rechargeable batteries. There are different kinds of chargers, and you must use the proper type of rechargeable for that charger; ie if it is a 15 mins charger then you must buy the 15 mins batteries, 30 mins charger with 30 mins batteries, and standard charger with standard rechargeable batteries. Using the wrong type will reduce the amount of recharge cycles to as low as 10% of what they should get, which with NiCd's is 800-1000 average cycles.

Yes, not all NiCd's are made the same. Oh, and that has nothing to do with what the mA's of the batteries are; which only has to do with the length of useage that they have when charged, think of it as the same as what size of gas tank your car has. Bigger tank then longer trips, more mA's then longer useage per charge.

Anyways, a standard NiCd's should only be used with a trickle charger never a speed charger. Just because your charger can do it does not mean that the makeup of the batteries can take it.

Also if the charger is a multi-type charger; can do NiCd's or NiMH's. Your should make sure that it is set to NiCd's for NiCd's and NiMH for NiMH. it does make a BIG different in the method use to charge either type. NiCd's are normally trickle charge [slow charge rate], while NiMH's are charged with a speed method.

As for the chemicals, you should have still bagged the batteries up in a ziplock bag and took them to your local battery recycle center and they will take the proper procedures to depose of the batteries. Without you getting a possible fine for improper disposal. It is mostly the cadium in the battery that is bad part, even where it can cause cancer if not handled properly.

that should be enough for a start.