Oh.

Found this in my bag; at some point over the last couple of weeks my spare laptop battery has slowly exploded. Interesting . . . I suppose this is what happens to old lithium-ion batteries. It’s dated late 2007, which makes sense. So, about six and a half years old. Is that good or bad? The previously-mentioned battery in my Powerbook 145b (based on an older lithium compound?) hasn’t done this. It’s not actually working without mains power either, but it hasn’t changed shape or leaked or anything. Last time I looked, the hardwired PRAM Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries on my Mac IIs were still working after 25 years. (I haven’t looked for a couple of years as everything’s in boxes, awaiting space.)

The MacBook battery has been sitting in a bag for about three months since I last charged it. Has that any bearing on the outcome? I know little about these. Anyhow, it’s clearly not going back in the laptop. What can you do with a dead battery? Recycle? These particular batteries look like they could be re-used as a box to hold memory cards. But this time, the joints are a bit too far gone. Perhaps I could get two of the lids — which happily aren’t coated in glue — and hinge them together. The currently functioning battery is about three years old and isn’t holding charge like it used to . . . 

At any rate, it’s interesting to see that although expanded, the chargeable content is still securely contained in tough internal bags. The expanded ones are a bit squishy to the touch. I assume there’s been some evolution of gas. But safe. A sort of slow-motion explosion you can touch.

For once, I am actually pleased with the failure mode of an Apple product.  

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