What can I wrap my battery in?
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thedoc007
Flashlight Enthusiast
Absolutely, definitely not! Tin foil conducts electricity...and with sharp edges (almost inevitable with such a fragile and crinkly material) I'd be concerned about both cutting the wrapper that is already on the cell, and about tiny pieces of foil flaking off as you insert or remove the cell from the light.
Paper is a good idea...the battery is already sealed in an airtight metal tube, with an insulating pocket of air around most of it. A single paper wrap won't make any real difference to the temperature of the cell, but it is cheap, simple, it works, and it is MUCH safer than using aluminum foil.
Shrink wrap would be fine too, but it wouldn't function any better than paper, and it is trickier to do properly. Sometimes the easy solution is the best!
samgab
Flashlight Enthusiast
Kapton tape is your ideal answer. It's designed for high heat, it conducts heat, and it doesn't conduct electricity.
But I've got to say, with no disrespect intended; I think you're mistaken about the heat issue. I use paper around many of my batteries in most of my flashlights, and the heat isn't an issue. The bulk of the heat isn't coming from the cells, it's usually coming from the emitters and being soaked up/dissipated through the body of the flashlight and the cooling fins. Any cell heat is more incidental than anything.
The heat generated by Li-ion cells is mostly as the chemistry becomes depleted of energy, it ramps up as the voltage goes below 3V if hard discharge continues beyond that level. So you shouldn't be discharging a Li-ion below that voltage anyway. IMR's won't be what is generating the bulk of the heat with a 10W discharge when at a safe level of charge capacity. And the paper won't add much extra heat insulation beyond what the plastic wrapper over the cell already does. (And if it did, it would be preventing the greater heat from the emitter which soaks into the body of the flashlight from transferring into the cells, not the other way around.) It's really a non-issue, scientifically and practically speaking.
But I've got to say, with no disrespect intended; I think you're mistaken about the heat issue. I use paper around many of my batteries in most of my flashlights, and the heat isn't an issue. The bulk of the heat isn't coming from the cells, it's usually coming from the emitters and being soaked up/dissipated through the body of the flashlight and the cooling fins. Any cell heat is more incidental than anything.
The heat generated by Li-ion cells is mostly as the chemistry becomes depleted of energy, it ramps up as the voltage goes below 3V if hard discharge continues beyond that level. So you shouldn't be discharging a Li-ion below that voltage anyway. IMR's won't be what is generating the bulk of the heat with a 10W discharge when at a safe level of charge capacity. And the paper won't add much extra heat insulation beyond what the plastic wrapper over the cell already does. (And if it did, it would be preventing the greater heat from the emitter which soaks into the body of the flashlight from transferring into the cells, not the other way around.) It's really a non-issue, scientifically and practically speaking.
xdayv
Flashlight Enthusiast
how about teflon tape used in plumbing?
RedLED
Flashlight Enthusiast
I wrap,my in in $100 dollar bills to hide and have for an emergency.
Problem solved!
Problem solved!
Overclocker
Flashlight Enthusiast
yeah kapton tape. in fact if that's a protected cell it's already got kapton tape in it (the yellow tape)
