Li-Ion 18650 query

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Nigel Goodwin

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Just noticed that our latest batch of Samsung 18650's are printed with "FIRE HAZARD! NOT FOR VAPE! NEVER INSTALL, CARRY OR HANDLE!", anyone got any idea what that's all about?. In the picture below the bottom four are from the new batch, the top one from the old batch.


 
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this sounds like a legal issue. I imagine that some idiot has put one of these in a vape and it has exploded. I imagine the electronics inside a vape is so cheap, that the charge termination is not as accurate as it could be, so if you swap out the battery, things could go bang.

I hope you bought these cells from a reputable supplier. If not, they might no hold charge. You can tell how good they are by weighing them

I have about 100 18650's here and they all weigh about 44g. If yours are lighter (by more than 5g), they are probably counterfeit
 
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simonbramble said:
Sorry - I just realised it was you, Nigel, asking the question, not a newbie hobbyist. I assume you know all this stuff already!
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Yes, they come from a major UK battery supplier, one of two we use - depending which can do the best deal on the day. Generally one is better for some types of battery, and the other is better for other types - although sometimes one is out of stock, so we have no option. Occasionally, when we're desperate, and neither have stock - we might order small quantities from RS or Farnell, but they are MUCH more expensive.

This last order, with the 'no vape' warning, was for 300 x 18650's.
 
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It is legalese to cover the manufacturer butt from the leeches reach. Ooooops, sorry, - lawyers-

You buy it, but not install it. Do not handle nor carry; leave it at the store you bought it. If causes any harm, is not the manufacturers fault.
 
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Nigel Goodwin said:
anyone got any idea what that's all about?
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Two possibilities -

Unprotected cells, so not internally short circuit protected, if mis-handled; = overload and burst cells.

Flat to rather that protruding positive, so not suitable for consumer equipment that needs a positive "pip" connection - or for stacking in things that take two or more cells in line, as the connection between cells would be dodgy, and if the insulation was stripped by someone to allow contact it would also allow shorting the positive to the case...
 
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rjenkinsgb said:
Two possibilities -

Unprotected cells, so not internally short circuit protected, if mis-handled; = overload and burst cells.
Click to expand...

They are certainly unprotected cells, but I would have thought that was what vapes use?.


As far as I'm aware that's the standard case style of 18650's, they don't have protruding pips, and don't 'slide together' in consumer equipment like AA's do. I don't think 18650's are particularly used where they are customer replaceable?.

At work we generally spot weld them together, although in my latest project I'm actually using battery holders, and wiring them four in parallel (the battery holders can be configured as series or parallel).
 
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My neighbor is an ER doc and he said they get guy with a burned thigh about once a month from putting keys or coins in the same pocket as a vape battery. The doc thinks the batteries are the most dangerous part of vaping.
 
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