Lithium Battery - Kannad PROV-CARBON Manuel Utilisateur

USER MANUAL / MANUEL UTILISATEUR

9. LITHIUM BATTERY

All batteries -- both lithium batteries and batteries with other chemistries -- contain large quantities of stored
energy. This is, of course, what makes them useful, but it also makes them potentially hazardous.
If correctly handled, neither alkaline nor lithium batteries present any risk to humans or the environment.
Improper handling of these batteries presents potential risks to humans, but does not present an
environmental risk.
The energy stored in a battery cell is stored in chemical form. Most batteries contain corrosive chemicals.
These chemicals can be released if the cells are mishandled. Mishandling includes:
• short-circuiting the cells;
• (re)charging the cells;
• puncturing the cell enclosure with a sharp object;
• exposing the cell to high temperatures.
WARNING: BOTH ALKALINE AND LITHIUM BATTERIES MAY EXPLODE, PYROLIZE OR VENT IF
MIS-HANDLED. DO NOT DISASSEMBLE, PUNCTURE, CRUSH, SHORT-CIRCUIT,
(RE)CHARGE OR INCINERATE THE CELLS. DO NOT EXPOSE CELLS TO HIGH
TEMPERATURES.
The lithium thionyl chloride cells used in PROV-CARBON floats incorporate sealed steel containers,
warning labels and venting systems to guard against accidental release of their contents.
WARNING: IF A BATTERY SPILLS ITS CONTENTS DUE TO MISHANDLING, THE RELEASED
CHEMICALS AND THEIR REACTION PRODUCTS INCLUDE CAUSTIC AND ACIDIC
MATERIALS, SUCH AS HYDROCHLORIC ACID (HCL) IN THE CASE OF LITHIUM
THIONYL CHLORIDE BATTERIES, AND POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE (KOH) IN THE CASE
OF ALKALINE BATTERIES. THESE CHEMICALS CAN CAUSE EYE AND NOSE
IRRITATION AND BURNS TO EXPOSED FLESH.
The hazard presented by these chemicals is comparable to that presented by common domestic cleaning
materials like bleach, muriatic acid or oven cleaner.
Inevitably, the battery contents will eventually be released into the environment - regardless of whether the
cells are deliberately dismantled or simply disintegrate due to the forces of nature. Because of their highly
reactive nature, battery materials disintegrate rapidly when released into the environment. They pose no
long-term environmental threat. There are no heavy metals or chronic toxins in PROV-CARBON's lithium
cells. Indeed, a recommended safe disposal method for thionyl chloride lithium cells is to crush them and
dilute them in sufficient quantities of water.
Discharged batteries pose a greatly reduced threat, as the process of discharging them consumes the
corrosive chemicals contained in them.
In summary, PROV-CARBON's lithium battery poses no significant or long-term environmental threats. Any
threats that they do present, are short-term threats to the safety of persons mishandling the cells. These
safety threats are similar to those of other common household-use materials. These threats are reduced
when the cells are discharged - and exist only if the cells are mishandled in extreme ways. These threats
are the same as those presented by the alkaline cells widely used by consumers.
PROV-CARBON
PAGE : 29 / 70
DATE : 20/12/2007
INDEX : A
REF. : DOC07220