Batteries

[Ryan smith4748]

do my 18650 batteries cause radiation or carcinogens? Read a few things that said they did. Just curious

 

[salemgold]

No. They do not.

 

[IMFire3605]

do my 18650 batteries cause radiation or carcinogens? Read a few things that said they did. Just curious

Radiation, only radiation they produce is infra-red (heat) internally as they discharge current (amps). This thermal heating is a side effect of charge/discharge yes, and heat itself is the weak point of lithium based batteries. Discharge current goes above what the battery is rated for, they overheat, if you do not back off at this super heating and reach near 120Celcius to 140Celcius, internally the separators and insulators internally meltdown allowing the chemicals to mix, once this point is reached we call it thermal runaway, thermal runaway one of several reactions happen. These can include violent explosion (ICR 18650s), bubbling and a bit of spewing (IMR), to a violent spray and flame like a roman candle (INR/LiPo), inhalation of this out gassing and spray can have some nasty effects, but your more immediate concern will be the 2nd and 3rd degree burns and shrapnel wounds. By themselves the Lithium based chemicals, salts solutions, or acids internally can be dangerous to handle and potentially carcinogenic yes, but if kept contained they are safe, almost all modern high discharge electronics (including phones, computers, tablets, cordless power tools) use lithium based batteries for at least the past decade. Battery manufacturers on top of trying to squeeze out the most power output they can are also focusing on keeping these batteries from rupturing or exploding as the technology progresses.

 

[suprtrkr]

They don't emit radiation you need to worry about under normal operating conditions. Neither need you be worried about harmful chemicals unless you eat one, or they decide to vent, in which latter case you'll have more immediate concerns.