What does it mean if a battery is swollen?

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asked Jul 22, 2023 in Science by Danielcastillo (3,100 points)
What does it mean if a battery is swollen?

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answered Dec 13, 2023 by CaizCasa (8,180 points)
If a battery is swollen it means the battery is bad or going bad due to chemical reactions that produce the power no longer complete fully which results in the creation of the gas that causes the battery to swell.

The battery that is swollen could potentially explode or may simply just burst.

Battery fires are hard to put out they are prone to reigniting because the lithium salts in the batteries are self oxidizing that means they can't be starved out of oxygen like normal fires can.

When a lithium battery explodes it can release toxic gas that are harmful to breath in.

Lithium battery fires can also be very difficult to put out and attempting to put a Lithium battery fire out yourself can also be dangerous.

Exploding lithium batteries can cause injuries from fire and release toxic compounds during an explosion.

Examples of injuries due to an exploding or burning lithium battery include: Significant burns.

The battery explosions are caused by gasses not being vented correctly and then they are exposed to an ignition source such as a pilot light, spark etc.

In order for a battery to explode they must have present explosive gasses and hydrogen and oxygen as well as a source of ignition which can be either outside of the battery or internal to the battery.

Battery explosions can be pretty powerful if they are larger batteries or even the smaller lithium batteries and can cause severe injury, burns and even burn a house down.

The exploding battery can sound like a firecracker or gunshot depending on the size of the battery and the exploding battery can be hazardous and cause very painful injuries.

And lithium batteries contain flammable substances and toxic chemicals that can cause skin burns and other injuries.

It is bad to touch an exploded battery as the chemicals can get onto the skin and cause rashes or chemical burns or other irritation.

You should only touch the exploded battery wearing gloves or by using a shovel tongs etc.

You can know if a battery explodes by hearing a loud explosion or popping sound depending on the size of the battery.

Larger batteries that explode may sound like a loud gunshot and smaller batteries may sound like a firecracker.

Other signs that a battery is about to explode are the battery swells up, the battery gets hot, the device gets hot, you smell a bad chemical smell, the battery is smoking or liquids are leaking from the battery.

If a battery is about to explode you should use a pair of tongues or something else to safely hold the battery and take it outside and place it in a fireproof container such as a metal can that is sealed or metal bucket of sand or put into some sand or on a concrete surface.

Batteries explode or leak due to hydrogen building up in the battery which causes pressure buildup in the battery's insulating seals to come open and leak.

Lithium and lithium ion batteries can burn underwater which is why spraying and blasting lithium fires with water does not put the fire out right away.

Lithium reacts intensely with water, forming lithium hydroxide and highly flammable hydrogen.

The colorless solution is highly alkalic.

The likelihood of a lithium battery fire is very low and it's very unlikely that you would have a lithium battery fire as long as you follow proper discarding, charging and storage procedures for the lithium ion batteries.

Lithium ion batteries do start fires but it's not as common as most people think.

Lithium batteries swell because of chemical reactions that produce power no longer completing fully which results in the creation of gasses which cause the battery to explode.

Lithium and other batteries also swell due to electrolyte decomposition.

Too much current flowing through the batteries can also cause the battery to swell due to a buildup in gasses and heat.

A battery explosion is almost as loud as a gunshot.

The plastic case blows apart and then the sound of toxic and highly concentrated sulfuric acid bubbles to the ground.

And automotive battery explosions can cause severe injury and can even be fatal, depending on where one is standing during the explosion.

The chemical that makes batteries explode is hydrogen gas which is explosive in certain concentrations in the air.

The flammability or explosive limits for hydrogen gas is 4.1% to 72% hydrogen in air.

The most explosive battery is the Lithium based batteries which are very powerful and can be highly explosive and when recharged repeatedly dendrites can form and trigger a short circuit which causes the battery to burst into flames and explode.

The white powder from battery is potassium carbonate which is electrolyte potassium hydroxide that is reacted with O2 in order to form Potassium Carbonate.

When in this condition with the white powder from the battery the battery is no longer usable and Potassium carbonate is a very strong alkaline and water soluble material.

If you pierce a AAA battery or AA battery or any other battery then the acidic material or alkaline can leak out of the body and lead to corrosive injury to the body if touched.

AA, AAA and other batteries can sizzle when hydrogen gas is building up inside the battery and the battery is trying to open to vent the hydrogen gas.

The battery may also be leaking and may be going bad as well.

All AA batteries are the same although some AA batteries are made to last a bit longer than other AA batteries and some AA batteries are also designed to work in more extreme temperatures and have a longer storage life than other AA batteries.

The AA battery that lasts the longest is the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA battery.

The Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA battery has a 20 year storage life and can work in temperatures of 104 F to 140 F.

Amazon batteries are worth it and they work just as good as name brand batteries and are cheaper.

I buy Amazon batteries and find them just as good as other batteries and they are cheaper as well.

Amazon has the best AA battery price when you buy the AA batteries in bulk.

It's cheaper to buy the AA batteries in bulk than it is to buy them in smaller amounts such as a single package from a store.

Generic AA batteries are just as good as name brand for most devices.

However if you need a longer lasting battery in high drain devices then buying the name brand batteries can be a better choice.

But for lower drain devices such as remote controls, clocks etc, led flashlights etc then the generic AA batteries are just as good as the name brand and will work fine.

Some AA batteries do last longer than others.

Some of the name brand AA batteries last longer than some of the generic cheaper brands.

For example Duracell and Energizer AA batteries tend to last a bit longer than cheaper batteries do.

Cheap AA batteries last for 18 hours to 24 hours when used and when unused the cheap AA batteries last from 3 to 5 years.

Higher drain devices will drain the batteries faster than lower drain devices.

The brand of batteries that last the longest are Energizer batteries and Duracell Batteries.

You can make your AA battery last longer by keeping the batteries cool, turning off any gadgets or devices using the batteries when not in use.

You can also buy longer lasting AA batteries or use rechargeable AA batteries which cost more upfront but can be reused several times.
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answered Apr 22 by HarryJn (820 points) 1 flag
edited Apr 22 by HarryJn
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commented Apr 22 by joelie.ciara (100 points)
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