do lithium batteries react with fuel oils?

[John_Galt]

A friend of mine has just presented me with a question I had no specific answer to. Would a lithium battery (or li ion) react/vent in the presence of a liquid fuel, such as gasoline or kerosene?

If immersed in such a liquid would the liquid be conductive enough to cause a cell or multiple cells to discharge/short and begin venting?

Just a ponder for those in the know...

 

[MethylEthyl]

Gasoline is not conductive enough to lead to a thermal runaway, even with decent amounts of ethanol added.

However, batteries are not always hermetically sealed. If the gasoline got inside the battery and encountered parts of the battery that are degraded by gasoline, this could be an issue.

Also, if there is any water content in the gasoline and it makes its way inside the battery, there is a chance that the water+lithium would cause enough heat to ignite the fuel. This would be a big problem and is basically how most meth lab fires occur.

 

[tonijedi]

That would be a molotov cocktail v2.0 :devil:

 

[TEEJ]

Gasoline is not conductive enough to lead to a thermal runaway, even with decent amounts of ethanol added.

However, batteries are not always hermetically sealed. If the gasoline got inside the battery and encountered parts of the battery that are degraded by gasoline, this could be an issue.

Also, if there is any water content in the gasoline and it makes its way inside the battery, there is a chance that the water+lithium would cause enough heat to ignite the fuel. This would be a big problem and is basically how most meth lab fires occur.

Most meth lab fires occur due to water getting into lithium ion cells?

 

[MethylEthyl]

The cook opens a lithium cell while its under oil, removes the sheet of lithium metal, and transfers it to a bath of starter fluid. However, the layer of starter fluid (a few inches in a plastic bottle) is on top of a layer of water...they stay separate like oil and water do. But things can happen and sometimes water gets agitated up into the starter fluid layer. Boom!

OP: In a few weeks I will test a few cells under a few liquid fuels and report the results here. With link to video if its interesting.

 

[John_Galt]

Wow. Very interesting.

Ethanol attracts water, does it not? So pure gasoline would be less likely to react than gasohol.

Id be very interested in some videos. Thank you all for your responses