OT: Lithium Cells Exploding

I recently found out that Lithium cells are no longer allowed in checked luggage on airplanes in the US.

Personally I have tortured those lithium button cells and have never had them do anything really dangerous other than spew some nasty stuff out.

I would understand if this referred to litium-ion cells.. Does anyone have any bad expirence with standard lithium coin cells catching fire? Since this seems to be what they are concerned with.[

- Mike

Reply to
Michael Kennedy
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"Energizer lithium coin batteries are exempt from the classification as dangerous goods as they meet the requirements of the special provisions listed below. (Essentially, they are properly packaged and labeled, contain less than 1 gram of lithium and pass the tests defined in UN model regulation section 38.3)."

However, these comments may have gotting their attention: "Handling: Accidental short circuit for a few seconds will not seriously affect the battery. Prolonged short circuit will cause the battery to lose energy, generate significant heat and can cause the safety release vent to open. Sources of short circuits include jumbled batteries in bulk containers, metal jewelry, metal covered tables or metal belts used for assembly of batteries into devices. Damaging a lithium battery may result in an internal short circuit."

"The contents of an open battery, including a vented battery, when exposed to water, may result in a fire and/or explosion. Crushed or damaged batteries may result in a fire."

I had a 2032 coin cell get shorted by my car keys while in my pocket. No explosion or fire, but it sure burned my leg.

Not exactly a coin battery, but interesting: Primary Lithium battery explodes!

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Have they also banned flying on planes using Rolls Royce Trent engines which are proven to catch fire and explode in flight.

Reply to
N_Cook

There was an Austrian Airlines jet brought down because a shipment of watches had a large number of the lithium cells in them leak in the unpressurized cargo hold and catch fire.

The "nasty stuff" is extremely flamable in large quantities.

Geoff.

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Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to misquote it.
Reply to
Geoffrey S. Mendelson

There was an Austrian Airlines jet brought down because a shipment of watches had a large number of the lithium cells in them leak in the unpressurized cargo hold and catch fire.

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How long before they quit letting us take any electronics at all on a plane?

Reply to
Brenda Ann

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

is the flight prohibition against lithium CELLS or battery PACKS? like the laptop PC battery packs that have had fire problems,and would have exposed contacts that could be shorted by other items in the baggage. Or spare cellphone battery packs,out of their OEM packaging.

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Jim Yanik
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Reply to
Jim Yanik

That's why they are only used on the outside of an airplane :-)

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Kind regards,
Gerard Bok
Reply to
Gerard Bok

They won't be happy until we're required to show up naked with no luggage.

Reply to
Spamm Trappe

There are no unpressured cargo holds in civil passenger or cargo planes since 60 or more years! They are even heated. The pressure is about

2000m MSL (or 2400m? I forgot)

Yes, especially in non existing worlds and movies :)

Saludos Wolfgang

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Reply to
Wolfgang Allinger

A cavity probe would still be necessary...sorry!

Reply to
Bob Villa

Duh... I should have looked for that first. The regs have been in place since Jan 1, 2008.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

More:

Are lithium-ion batteries the next threat to airline safety?

FAA data show that from March 20, 1991, through Aug. 3, 2010, batteries and battery-powered devices were involved in 113 incidents with "smoke, fire, extreme heat or explosion" on passenger and cargo planes. The data are for lithium and non-lithium batteries and are not a complete list of such incidents, the agency says.

I think this is what inspired the TSO to step up enforcement:

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

NASA won't allow any litium cells in space. We had to use 'Capstore' NVRAM in our products for space applications. Since the cost difference was small, we dropped the battery backed NVRAM from our products.

--
For the last time:  I am not a mad scientist, I'm just a very ticked off
scientist!!!
Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Well I didn't know the regulations, but I was told by the post office here in Japan that no lithium battery Coin cell included or lead acid batteries are allowed in Air Mail.

Go figure they got the translation wrong and of course nobody knows enough about how things work to even ask the question why they are banning it. Honestly I can understand Li-ion batteries being banned, but non rechargable coin cells didnt make any sense to me.

That clears that up I guess.

- Mike

Reply to
Michael Kennedy

haha.

No they aren't worried about solving any acutal safety problems. They are just here to inoconvience everyone to the virge of insanity.

Reply to
Michael Kennedy

On that note as well.. Did anyone know there is a 1lb / 455gram limit on all parcels flying airmail to the USA? It isnt being enforced everywhere yet, but this is what the TSA requested / demanded.

Reply to
Michael Kennedy

Lovely. The TSA imposes this limit and Japan retaliates.

Here's the brilliant logic: Packages containing explosives were found in Britain and Dubai on two cargo planes from Yemen bound for the U.S. in late October. The TSA heightened its aviation alert level since then. Therefore, anything weighing over 1 lb must be a bomb.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

On that note as well.. Did anyone know there is a 1lb / 455gram limit on all parcels flying airmail to the USA? It isnt being enforced everywhere yet, but this is what the TSA requested / demanded.

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That would effectively ban all parcels over 1lb to the US, since there is no longer any international surface mail into or out of the US. Such a rule will never fly, as it would pretty much curtail any international small quantity commerce. Would REALLY piss off the troops, too, as it would pretty much mean they couldn't send anything home other than letters. Would also severly cripple military contractors, etc.

Reply to
Brenda Ann

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Lovely... the grandest of idiocy, just in time for the holiday mailing season..

Reply to
Brenda Ann

Digikey won't ship an order by air that contains even a single Li button cell!

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward"
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Spehro Pefhany

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