Exploded NiCd Batteries

[[email protected]]

While attempting a home-charge of a set of NiCd batteries, they were
left unattended and consequently exploded (relatively high current was
flowing through them). The basement area in which the explosion took
place is currently being ventilated overnight.

Does anyone have any recommendations for further safety precautions or
clean-up procedures?

Thanks

 

[Michael Black]

While attempting a home-charge of a set of NiCd batteries, they were
left unattended and consequently exploded (relatively high current was
flowing through them). The basement area in which the explosion took
place is currently being ventilated overnight.

Does anyone have any recommendations for further safety precautions or
clean-up procedures?

Thanks

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

 

[John]

While attempting a home-charge of a set of NiCd batteries, they were
left unattended and consequently exploded (relatively high current was
flowing through them). The basement area in which the explosion took
place is currently being ventilated overnight.

Does anyone have any recommendations for further safety precautions or
clean-up procedures?

Thanks

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

 

[Don Bruder]

While attempting a home-charge of a set of NiCd batteries, they were
left unattended and consequently exploded (relatively high current was
flowing through them). The basement area in which the explosion took
place is currently being ventilated overnight.

Does anyone have any recommendations for further safety precautions or
clean-up procedures?

Thanks

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.")

 

[[email protected]]

Don Bruder wrote:

....

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

....

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. http://www.robot-one.ca

 

[qwerty]

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.