Good grief!?!?!?

[Fly4Pay]

Originally Posted by Kristie

and a plastic zip lock bag is going to help reduce the percentage of it catching on fire? please....if the battery is hot enough to start a fire, the plastic is going to melt to the stupid thing and it'll help heat the fire...

what the hell?! when has a lithium battery started a fire on a plane anytime recently??

so now you have to fit your extra laptop battery into a plastic zip lock bag? this is just absurd.

Looks like several folks have already hit most of the high points on this, but here's one more thing... unlike alkalines, lithium and NiMH batteries are high-discharge batteries--very high mAH ratings (meaning they can put out a lot of current in a hurry). That's why, thought they are very popular in dive cameras, you do NOT want to get salt water on them, or things get ugly in a hurry. In a true short circuit, it discharges all its juice in a hurry and get VERY hot. The plastic bag keeps Tiffy's hair gel from lighting up a suit case...

[JDMcFly]

Originally Posted by Fly4Pay

Looks like several folks have already hit most of the high points on this, but here's one more thing... unlike alkalines, lithium and NiMH batteries are high-discharge batteries--very high mAH ratings (meaning they can put out a lot of current in a hurry). That's why, thought they are very popular in dive cameras, you do NOT want to get salt water on them, or things get ugly in a hurry. In a true short circuit, it discharges all its juice in a hurry and get VERY hot. The plastic bag keeps Tiffy's hair gel from lighting up a suit case...

I think that's why they use them in Tasers

[joel_MQY]

Just an observation....

It amazes me that some people complain about putting a battery and liquids in plastic bags, citing they don't understand the idea behind it. It is usually the same group of folks that get angry when questioned over their airline's policies from the public that doesn't understand the idea behind them.

[Bandit_Driver]

Lithium batteries were a suspected cause in the UPS DC8 fire in PHL.

In the regards to liquids, either ban them or don't, the 3oz rule is crazy. If they are worried about Binary stuff it would take far less than that.

TSA Training Video

PS How the heck do you use that you tube button?

[casey]

Originally Posted by 3green

Not sure if this answers the "why" question, but I had a friend in the USMC tell me a while back that lithium's explode when they come in contact with water. Hence, they would wrap their lithium radio batteries in plastic before river crossings or coming into contact with water. Since then I've had my spare lithium batteries in ziplocks.

Li and everything else in that column on the periodic table (alkali metals) react violently when in contact with water. The severity of the reaction increases as you go down the column.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ypUVpwgcAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw9p-5t8wWY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edo_ys9F2BI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNdijknRxfU

[TheWife]

so now you have to fit your extra laptop battery into a plastic zip lock bag?

It says "non-rechargeable lithium batteries", so I'm guessing your laptop battery would be ok, which is weird, because I have seen reports of laptop batteries blowing up, so why is it limited to NON-rechargeable ones being banned?

[flyover]

Originally Posted by TheWife

It says "non-rechargeable lithium batteries", so I'm guessing your laptop battery would be ok, which is weird, because I have seen reports of laptop batteries blowing up, so why is it limited to NON-rechargeable ones being banned?

This is about the rechargeable batteries. The reference to the non-rechargables has to do with shipment in larger quantities.

Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those made by Energizer Holdings Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.'s Duracell brand.