Just blew up a battery - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MrOmigoodness
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:16:56 pm
content: I was messing around with some spare components and the 9v battery I was using blew up. It sounded like a gunshot, almost scared me to death. Then I was about to pick it up and it blew again. Oh, and it almost burned my table (and my hand). Whatever, I guess the best way of learning is to fail. And speaking of failing, I wanted to recommend anyone starting out with electronics to watch this videoit really gives you some motivation to keep trying. Cheers~MrOmi~

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:21:11 pm
content: 9 V batteries don't really do that (really, they don't).What kind of battery was it, and what were you doing with it?

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:28:27 pm
content: The only way i can see it exploding is if you overcharged it

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:30:57 pm
content: I'd think it's plausible that a new 9V battery could pop if shorted - there are different constructions - some are made of six aaaa cells, and these could potentially build up a fair head of pressure.However reverse charging it would be a more effective way of detonating it

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:31:17 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on March 28, 2012, 10:28:27 pm...by connecting it to the mains, or by connecting it to a 12 V car battery...

author: MrOmigoodness
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:41:42 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on March 28, 2012, 10:21:11 pmReally, it did. I'll post some pics if you want.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:47:06 pm
content: Quote from: MrOmigoodness on March 28, 2012, 10:41:42 pmWe believe you, it's just that 9volts are low power batteries.It seems odd that one could build up enough pressure on its own to explode like a gunshot.

author: MrOmigoodness
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 10:50:06 pm
content: I don't wanna start a fight here so I'm just gonna leave it at that

author: Time
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 11:02:45 pm
content: I put a 9 V in my pocket with some change once and it got hot hot. Thats about the most danger I've ever seen one present.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 11:05:23 pm
content: Quote from: MrOmigoodness on March 28, 2012, 10:41:42 pmI didn't ask for pics, I asked what kind of battery was it and what were you doing with it?

author: Kilroy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 11:08:14 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on March 28, 2012, 10:30:57 pmYup.Just hook the battery up to a low value resistance and wait for it...

author: Mint.
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2012, 11:38:46 pm
content: I'd love to see the pics just for the lols

author: TriodeTiger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2012, 05:15:02 am
content: Ones I've seen always have a plastic bottom, to blow off first (or assemble without welding, either way) - can perfectly imagine they put it there for a reason.

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2012, 05:50:11 am
content: I've had individual AAAA cells extracted from a 9V pop their end off when discharged too heavily. I always thought that the extra containment of the output package would prevent this, but it's believable that one would pop anyway...

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2012, 12:30:50 pm
content: Quote from: westfw on March 29, 2012, 05:50:11 amI had this happen with regular alkaline AAs too with heavy discharge (>2A bursts).

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2012, 01:42:31 pm
content: The ones with individual AAAA cells are AlkalinesSo and so , the solid ones are definitely carbon zinc .

author: metalphreak
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2012, 09:48:23 am
content: 9V batteries have such a convenient form factor that allows you to easily connect two of them together

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2012, 12:00:30 pm
content: Quote from: metalphreak on March 30, 2012, 09:48:23 amor 52 of them!!

author: westfw
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2012, 03:34:36 pm
content: Most of the 9V NiCd or NiMH batteries I've taken apart use flat (oval) coin cells stacked on one another (and usually separable.) Frequently 7 of them (8.4V) rather than 6. (The AAAA configuration only works with 6 cells.) There's actually a surprising amount of variation in the internals of 9V batteries... (9V "ultra" lithium batteries seem to have a single molded plastic module with three internal cells. A shame that they're not separable into 3V cells; those might have filled a nice niche in the battery space. (bigger than coin cells, smaller than camera batteries...)

author: Ajahn Lambda
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2012, 04:40:56 pm
content: Still waiting for those pictures.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2012, 04:50:07 pm
content: How about 2196Volts .