CR123 smell?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

CR123 battery smell?

A while back I bought a bunch of Sanyo CR123A batteries on the internet for a fairly cheap price. They have always had a very strong smell to them, but I just ignored it, figuring it was all in my mind.

Then I was showing off my E2 and my Arc LS to a friend, and he commented that the batteries had a really strong smell. And he was able to name the smell, he said they smelled of solvents. So now it was immediately apparent to other people, not just me.

Is it normal for Lithium batteries to have a strong harsh smell? Should I be concerned. I carry a few of these batteries everywhere I go (in my backpack.) I also often carry food and water in my backpack, and I hate the idea that they might be picking up some scent from the batteries.

Any advice would be appreciated it.

Thanks!

 

[Stingray]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Mine all have that "lithium" smell too. All the brands I've tried do. When I open up a spares carrier, the smell is very apparent. I've gotten to kind of like it. Hope I'm not goin nuts.

 

[Tombeis]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Magic:

One of the benifits of owning flashlights the use CR123 lithium batteries is the wonderful odor of the lithium.

You will develop a taste for it.

 

[LEDagent]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

The way you describe it, the smells from the batteries seem to be unusually strong. While lithiums do release gas, mine doesn't seem to be THAT bad in my E2 or ARC LS...heck...i sometimes don't even smell it in a well ventilated environment.

The only time i've ever gotten a complaint was from a airport screener in the Philippines. I walked through a metal detector, handed him my E2, and he opened it. As he opened it, he asked me if they ommit gas because he smelled it, and i said "only a little." He gave it back to me without complaint. I think he smelled it because of the environment in the Philippines. It is VERY HOT AND HUMID there...almost like New Orleans or Florida in the summer.

I'm curious, where are you located? Maybe your environment could be doing something to the battery chemistry a bit? Maybe if it's hot and muggy where you are at, your batteries may be ommiting more gas than usuall.

But, like everyone is saying, lithium battery smells are an aquired taste. Although, i've heard that intaking too much of the lithium gas can do some serious brain damage.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Laurence...I live in San Francisco.

When you say intaking too much lithium gas can do serious brain damage; where did you hear that? Do Lithium batteries emit Litihium gas? (Hopefully not a silly question).

Is the "Lithium smell" really the smell of Lithium or something else?

There's not a super stong smell, although now that I've been thinking about it I always notice it. Before my friend mentioned it I tended to ignore it. It ain't faint though either

Thanks

 

[GeoffChan]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

I have El123's in my Surefire SC1 and they smell like Isopropanol.

Geoff

 

[Brock]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

I have been told that smell is addictive and will cause you to buy more 123 lights. I think I am living proof of this

 

[K-T]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Originally posted by Tombeis:
Magic:

One of the benifits of owning flashlights the use CR123 lithium batteries is the wonderful odor of the lithium.

You will develop a taste for it.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

It's the only reason I buy CR123A powered flashlights. Try realy stress them - a 12PM or M6 would be the right tool for that - and they start to smell even more.

Klaus ff to smell on his lithium batteries:

 

[Monsters_Inc]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

I agree with Geoff re: the iso-alcohol smell. Reading this thread caused me to pick up some 123s and sniff them - I thought it was just the cleaning fluid I use to clean my light that was transferred to the cells, but it seems the smell are in the ones in storage that have not been used yet.

Lithium would not exist as a gas at room temp - it's FAR too reactive to do so.

 

[pal251]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

I dont know if that lithium smell causes brain damage but im sure its not good

 

[carbonsparky]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

I found any of the will sealed flashlights capture and concentrate the smell of lithium batteries. My Mini-Mag with photo lithiums releases a bit of gas when I turn it on. If you store the coin cells in a plastic 35mm film canister you will get the same smell. I would guess the smell is more related to the electrolyte used in the battery than the lithium it self.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

scroll down here for a discussion of the smell of lithium batteries;

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000836#000014

an excerpt:

"...Flashaholic
Member # 67
posted 01-21-2001 03:38 AM                    
Nope - not cyanide - lithium hexa-flouro-ethane-nitrate. Death occurs within 2-4 years - but the first symptoms are an incredible urge to buy more flashlights.
I'm sorry. Couldn't resist ..."
--------------------------

thanks hmmwv.

 

[Darell]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Pretty soon they won't sell these things to teenagers.

 

[eluminator]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Now that you mention it, I've always noticed an aroma when I open up my Inova X5. It's the only lithium battery flashlight I own. I never thought it was the batteries. I assumed it was the "new flashlight" smell, like the "new car" smell.
But it's never made me a flashaholic. I doubt I own more than twenty LED flashlights. Thirty at the most. But you can never be too prepared. And they make good Christmas presents, after I've tested them of course. And I like to do my Christmas shopping early.

 

[JoeyL]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

It smells like ether.
I like this smell.
I found a website that identifies the battery solvents as propylene carbonate and dimethoxyethane. I've never heard of these but they sure sound like they smell like whats in the battery.

 

[hoss]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

I couldn't resist - I went to the box where I store my batteries and took a sniff of the lithium Toshibas and Sure-Fires. No smell.

I tried cupping my hand around each battery as I took a sniff but an odor was undetectable.

Next went to couple of my of my sure-fire flashlights and unscrewed the caps. Slight odor but not unpleasant - maybe just the flashlight themselves?

You guys sure your really smelling the batteries and not the flashlights? And if so, is the smell strongly objectionable?

Or maybe it's just the Sanyo batteries and not other brands?

Dang! I just re-read my post and it sounds weird.
In fact all these posts sound weird. See what flashaholicism does to you?

 

[Tombeis]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

pal251:

No,No lithium sniffing does no cause brain damage!

On the contrary, it stimulates the brain.

While reading the above posts I took my E2e out of te pouch, removed the bezel an sniffed.

Sure enough the brain was stimulated. I went to the Brightguy site and ordered more flashlights and 123's!

 

[LEDUser]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Originally posted by JoeyL:
It smells like ether.
I like this smell.
I found a website that identifies the battery solvents as propylene carbonate and dimethoxyethane. I've never heard of these but they sure sound like they smell like whats in the battery.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">What website was that???

 

[hotfoot]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Dang. I love the smell of lithium batteries too! I do keep the potential habit of sniffing these things too much at arms length though - dunno how many braincells die with every whiff of the unknown chemical cocktail...

 

[Slick]

Re: My 123s smell bad...

Maybe we can all petition Glade into making a "Lithium" air freshener.

Instead of the little "pine tree" shape, they could make them look like SF's, ARC's and other expensive lithium powered favorites.

I'd much rather be dangling one of these from my rear-view mirror than some of the other crap that they're makin.

I vote for Lithium smell.