FORCED-VENT 18650 in a Flashlight: >> first VIDEO is online!

Sounds like fun… be sure to post lots of pics!

So i embarked on my 2600km trip for 4 weeks to the rugged east Canada. i packed all the cameras, gear, parts, tools, flashlights, batteries, lanterns, etc. to do lots of beamshot photos & comparisons, and to the testing of LiIon cells venting in a sealed flashlight, and out of flashlights. i plan to do videos of the testing and lost of photos. :slight_smile:

UPDATES: - July, 3,2016
Today we performed some LiIon 18650 cell testing to attempt to get them to vent. We used 50 ft of extension cord, and a wood block with two nails as contacts wired to the cord to hold the cell. ( these tests were not inside of a flashlight) On the other end upwind we applied 12 volts directly from a RV Deep Cycle battery, first positive polarity, then after 5 minutes with no venting, we reversed the polarity, then still no vent! one of the cells got so hot it began to melt the wrapper. I tested four different cells, a Sanyo, a Sony, a LG, and a cheap ultrafire. none of the cells vented with 12 volts from a large battery connected. then we decided to try 120 volt AC from a large inverter, still no venting! they all got EXTREMELY hot, and one even arced the 14 gauge wire on the 18650 cell top to the point of welding the wire to the cell, but still did not vent. Tomorrow will try heating the cell with a propane torch remotely to try to get them to vent.

Appreciate your test, maybe the new imr and inr cells are safer then people think. It seems ICR cells vent easily. Do you have access to a welding machine? There is a video on YouTube where a guy hooks up 2 cells to 40amps. And it took about 30 seconds for them to explode. I believe they were ICR not 100% positive though

:person_facepalming: :slight_smile:

these four i tested wee older cells, 2 of them laptop pulls, one a sanyo with high IR, and a Ultrafire with the protection removed. They all got extremely hot, but none vented with the various overload of voltage and charging amps, or shorting.

I'm not surprised. We tried to vent a lot of different brands of 18650s via overcharging and shorting. All of the fail safes went off. The only way I got something fun to happen was lighting them on fire in a cup of flammable liquid.

Not sure why this 25R vent so quickly.
www.youtube.com/embed/GM4R_152Mp0

I thought that in order for the cells to vent with flame they needed to 1. be discharging and 2. reach a temperature during discharge to trigger thermal runaway.

Some information on battery university reads that li-ion with cobalt cathode becomes thermally unstable at temp of 302 Fahrenheit, and li-ion with manganese cathode become unstable at 482 Fahrenheit. Perhaps you can get a cell up to these temps with the torch you have planned. :smiley:

I think the best method to reach the desired result is a dead short with very heavy gauge wire or metal.

I believe many youtube attempts at creating vent with flame do not take into consideration that it is based on a chemical reaction which occurs under specific conditions.
I compare this (comically :smiley: ) to how a nuclear reactor will not reach meltdown condition by hitting reactor with hammer or shooting it. :+1:

Wow these must be grade A cells how much to buy them after they pass your torture test. I’d love to strap that ultrafire to my head in my armytek…… :person_facepalming: :wink:

indeed. i will be testing to vent them later today using a blow torch remotely.

Crushing the 25R probably breaches the containment membrane that keeps the two reactant chemicals separate.

The eventual failure of that membrane from slow crystal growth that pokes a hole in it is the problem described as leading to failure with venting and generation of heat, and the chemicals used are flammable.

The eventual failure is described as happening from heat cycling and age, and as a problem with counterfeit cells or cells made in dirty conditions with metal fragments that cause a variety of problems inside the cell over time.

If you look up “accelerated aging” as a test procedure for li-ions, you’ll find various descriptions.

The membrane separator, if well made of the proper material, isn’t likely to fail quickly solely from external heat being applied, and if the liquid inside boils off through a proper vent releiving internal pressure, into an external fire, it will just burn off (though you probably don’t want to breathe downwind.

Part of the question is that there as yet no standards for producing li-ions, so you rarely know what you get or whether it has been tested. The brand name cells have gone through the accelerated aging/cycling tests and they’re careful about manufacturing to specification without corner-cutting, for that reason.

Have you weighed the cells before and after heating them, to determine whether they’ve lost any of the contents through proper controlled venting when heated?

UPDATES! - July,4th,2016
Successfully got some 18650’s to vent, by applying heat from a propane torch remotely. after two vents, i successfully got a cell to vent inside a flashlight! The light was a metal tactical design, but with a side clickie switch. it melted the switch, then vented enough to blow the driver, reflector, and LEDs out the front. I captured the tests on video. as soon as i return from my holidays i will upload the videos of the tests. I also tested a AAA Alkaline and a AA Zinc Carbon with the heat test.

Lol!!

NO! Post it now!! :smiley:

Were the flashlights turned on when they exploded or no?

Can’t wait to see the videos!!!

yep, it was turned on. its in the video where it goes out roughly 5 minutes before the cell vents in the light.

Cool……this should be classic!

I’m interested in this. I also want make tests like that. I made a polycarbonate box for my phone to take 720p 120 fps videos from some exploding things at a very close distance :smiley:

:slight_smile: Looking forward to the video.