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Salvaging Power Supplies Used batteries aren't dead	Battery tales
Back	There has been recently a lot of talk at the WISClub Listgroup regarding the second use of batteries.
	As a first conclusion, it's advisable NOT TO OPEN ANY BATTERIES, because they may contain dangerous chemicals. NEVER NEVER open a LI-ION battery
	There is a nice work on nine volt batteries by the BrilSmurf Having told so, and for people who know what's doing, lets open some. Here you have a buch of batteries taken from my house's battery box.
	Let's start by the big one at the left. A 6V battery used in blinking lantern fences, to indicate car drivers there are works going on. The first action was to try to open the plastic box. Not very difficult, a sharp cutter applied to the plastic junction seen near the top proved the short life expectancy of this kind of battery.
	And, what we find inside?.... Bingo!, what it does look like GRAPHITE BARS!!!, (I'll have to wait till the battery will be exhausted to certify it, but I don't have any doubt).
	Wires inside the battery are very thin.
	Not very leakproof... It's giving 6.05 volt without any load. With a modest load, the battery voltage drops quickly. Powering my MINOLTA Dimage 2330 digital camera, took the voltage down, below 4V... Not useful as a backup battery for field photography. So this kind of batteries maybe will be useful in low power, long life projects. (Unrelated: At the right side, you can see my wire cutter).
Last update: 24 Sept 2003