Quote:
Originally Posted by NullNix
Has anyone ever told you that you are a wonderful daredevil maniac?
I mean, seriously, this sort of thing has explosions and fire and serious burns at the end of it, but you did it anyway! And it worked!
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I have done LOTS of things others wouldn't even dream to dare. My life has been full, to say the least, but I am smart, and I am careful, and I am still here to tell the tales of daring do (and to do much, much more of the same). The meek and timid do not tread where others fear to follow, but then they discover very little on their own as well...
And besides, if you want a REALLY HOT lithium fire,
lithium fusion generally requires a plutonium core to get the real ignition going off with a bang (and the plutonium needs its own tritium "spark plug" too).
But yeah, if you pack a large enough energy into a small enough device, and lithium battery technology is rather good at that, where do you draw the line between "fast discharge" and "slow explosion"? That heavy foil pack that all LiPos are sealed inside is generally an adequate "firewall", by design (with LiPo fires usually caused by damage to that foil package).
I have LiPo charging bags, I use for my big LiPo batteries, but apparently even they are
inadequate at times.
The key here is that I am aware of the POTENTIAL danger (and I posted those videos above to make you aware too). HOWEVER, these are really small batteries, and unless you want to risk having a lithium battery fire in your purse or pocket, just be careful and try not to poke holes in it. And like me, it is good to keep a fire extinguisher (rated for electrical fires) handy near your workspace.
In reality, lithium fires are pretty rare -- to the point that (American) rules about shipping lithium batteries on commercial airlines have been greatly relaxed in recent years, and LiPo fires are quite rare (except some special cases like
cheap Chinese "hoverboard" knock-offs) especially with them being used in devices carried in pockets every day by millions of people.
EDIT: And for safety, a mostly-discharged lithium battery does not contain stored energy needed to start a fire. That is one reason LiPo batteries have a "shipping mode" that keeps them discharged to 40-percent capacity. Most LiPo fires are caused from INAPPROPRIATE overcharging, overheating, or physical damage (such as after an R/C vehicle crash). Kindle diagnostics even have a "shipping mode" you can select, but beware that it also does a factory reset. LiPo batteries are also supposed to have a longer shelf-life when stored at 40-percent charge, besides being much safer than when stored with a full charge. Just remember, when doing "dangerous stuff" (like getting out of bed in the morning), be knowledgeable, be safe, be sane, and be consensual when dealing with the lives and the rights of others...
EDIT2: Also, FYI, when I noticed that I had punctured the swollen metal foil jacket of that PW3 LiPo battery while using a knife to try to pry up the corners of the plastic wrapper, I IMMEDIATELY pressed all the foil down, intentionally releasing the gas inside (careful to not inhale it). Why did I do that? My concern was that with that large air pocket inside, oxygen would leak in and react with any exposed reactive materials inside. Pressing it as empty as I could would eliminate most of the room for oxygen to enter, also protecting surface exposure and unwanted chemical reactions. Because it was discharged, it might not have been necessary, but better safe than sorry. You know, playing it safe by playing it smart, which is why I am still alive after all these years of doing the "unthinkable" just for "fun" (well, actually, for SCIENCE!).