RCR123 leakage

[louie]

My buddy's HDS EDC B42 recently had the rechargeable RCR123 liIon (Battery Station) leak inside it. This might have been from hot weather, and the cell was several years old. Now the tailcap does not work properly, while another tailcap works fine, so we assume some goo got into the switch. I've taken these apart before, but haven't gotten to this yet.

My question is what is the fluid from an RCR123, and how poisonous/toxic/corrosive is it?

BTW, I suggested he move to AW cells.

 

[VidPro]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery

The electrolyte is typically a mixture of organic carbonates such as ethylene carbonate or diethyl carbonate containing complexes of lithium ions.[10] These non-aqueous electrolytes generally use non-coordinating anion salts such as lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), lithium hexafluoroarsenate monohydrate (LiAsF6), lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4), and lithium triflate (LiCF3SO3).

Okkkaaay
what i call it is some wicked "Solvent" that is highly corrosive, it can oxidise something very rapidly , for example, when it is releaced inside some container.
it is toxic and shouldnt be breathed , but i treat all battery electrolytes as toxic, this stuff just has a non-water based stuff that gets around a lot more. it can also form other wicked stuff when heated.

 

[louie]

OK, thanks. This switch was still acting erratically several days later although I saw no corrosion. I took the tailcap apart, washed everything, found no corrosion or fluid, and it all works now.

 

[VidPro]

ohh good, mabey it was just minor oxidation of the switch contact points, wherein some switch designs you can just click it a bunch of times and it will bang off the oxidations .