Slightly damaged insulation ring on a 18650 battery

[dripster]

Hi everyone,

After I removed my VTC5A flat top batteries from my Nitecore D4 charger I noticed on one of my batteries the black protective insulation ring was cut from the inside edge of the ring outwards. This happened due to me pressing, in order to remove the battery from the charger, the ring against one of the six sharp edges that are part of the flat top (positive side) of the battery. The cut did not go all the way through to the outer edge of the ring, i.e. only the visible portion of it was cut in that one particular spot. So the ring has not come loose or anything, and the green shrink wrap is still fully intact.

Is it time for me to permanently retire this battery, or is there some reliable way of fixing this? I already know the spacing between the positive and negative poles is small, and I already fully understand what could happen if short circuiting the battery as I have carefully studied Mooch's extremely valuable explanations about this subject by closely watching the videos about safety. I can't thank him enough for those, and I also want to say thank you beforehand to whoever can help me with my question.

 

[anavidfan]

I saw replacement rings somewhere, I will see if I can find it in my history. Probably Ebay.

Found these so far 18650 Flat Top Battery Terminal Insulators - 20pcs Matte White

$1.18 Paper Insulation Gasket for Flat 18650 Battery (50-Pack) 50-pack - 17mm diameter at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

 

[TheTinMan]

Hi everyone,

After I removed my VTC5A flat top batteries from my Nitecore D4 charger I noticed on one of my batteries the black protective insulation ring was cut from the inside edge of the ring outwards. This happened due to me pressing, in order to remove the battery from the charger, the ring against one of the six sharp edges that are part of the flat top (positive side) of the battery. The cut did not go all the way through to the outer edge of the ring, i.e. only the visible portion of it was cut in that one particular spot. So the ring has not come loose or anything, and the green shrink wrap is still fully intact.

Is it time for me to permanently retire this battery, or is there some reliable way of fixing this? I already know the spacing between the positive and negative poles is small, and I already fully understand what could happen if short circuiting the battery as I have carefully studied Mooch's extremely valuable explanations about this subject by closely watching the videos about safety. I can't thank him enough for those, and I also want to say thank you beforehand to whoever can help me with my question.

Hmmm. Same battery, same charger, same issue. 6 Sonys I have done this to.

 

[dripster]

I saw replacement rings somewhere, I will see if I can find it in my history. Probably Ebay.

Found these so far 18650 Flat Top Battery Terminal Insulators - 20pcs Matte White

$1.18 Paper Insulation Gasket for Flat 18650 Battery (50-Pack) 50-pack - 17mm diameter at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping

Thank you for your reply. Do I also have to replace the shrink wrap, or is it safe to just attach the replacement gasket over top? I forgot to mention, the box mod that I use is a Wismec RX300 and as far as I can see there are no metal parts inside its battery compartment that could potentially cause this battery to short circuit in there.

 

[dripster]

Hmmm. Same battery, same charger, same issue. 6 Sonys I have done this to.

Yeah, on my charger one of the brackets is more difficult to slide than the other three.

 

[anavidfan]

Hmm, not sure.... Ive never rewrapped so I dont know if the insulator is in the inside of wrap or not.

I hope someone chimes in, dont want you to do anything that could be dangerous on my account

 

[TheTinMan]

Inulator is separate from the wrap. You will need both insulators and wraps.

I think what is cracking or slicing the insulators is the way we are pulling them out from the top of the charger. Try pulling the batteries out by placing your finger on the side of the battery and rolling it out.

 

[dripster]

Inulator is separate from the wrap. You will need both insulators and wraps.

I think I'll just continue to use the battery without worrying instead, but thanks anyway for your advice. Like I said up thread, there is no way it could potentially get short circuited that I can see.

I think what is cracking or slicing the insulators is the way we are pulling them out from the top of the charger.

I am certain this is precisely what's happened. I visually inspect all my batteries both before and after doing a recharge so that's how I know.

Try pulling the batteries out by placing your finger on the side of the battery and rolling it out.

Already tried that, it doesn't work. You need to use a stick of dynamite to blast the batteries out of the charger.

 

[KenD]

I think I'll just continue to use the battery without worrying instead, but thanks anyway for your advice. Like I said up thread, there is no way it could potentially get short circuited that I can see.
I am certain this is precisely what's happened. I visually inspect all my batteries both before and after doing a recharge so that's how I know.

Already tried that, it doesn't work. You need to use a stick of dynamite to blast the batteries out of the charger.

Replace the protector and rewrap. The protecting ring is the single most critical piece of protection against a hard short that the battery has.

Sent from my K6000 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[BrotherBob]

Hi everyone,
After I removed my VTC5A flat top batteries from my Nitecore D4 charger I noticed on one of my batteries the black protective insulation ring was cut from the inside edge of the ring outwards. This happened due to me pressing, in order to remove the battery from the charger, the ring against one of the six sharp edges that are part of the flat top (positive side) of the battery. The cut did not go all the way through to the outer edge of the ring, i.e. only the visible portion of it was cut in that one particular spot. So the ring has not come loose or anything, and the green shrink wrap is still fully intact.
Is it time for me to permanently retire this battery, or is there some reliable way of fixing this? I already know the spacing between the positive and negative poles is small, and I already fully understand what could happen if short circuiting the battery as I have carefully studied Mooch's extremely valuable explanations about this subject by closely watching the videos about safety. I can't thank him enough for those, and I also want to say thank you beforehand to whoever can help me with my question.

Welcome and glad you joined. Please be careful.
Might like to read:
18650 Battery Buying Guide for Vapor Users – Wake and Vape Blog
(9) Battery Basics for Mods; the Ultimate Battery Guide | E-Cigarette Forum
Battery Safety: Will You Marry Me? - Mt Baker Vapor

 

[SteveS45]

With a wrap and the insulator ring you are almost at 1/2 the cost of a battery. If it was me I think I would just replace the cell because you have to consider how many charge/discharge cycles it has already been through an how much life is left in it.

 

[Hawise]

With a wrap and the insulator ring you are almost at 1/2 the cost of a battery. If it was me I think I would just replace the cell because you have to consider how many charge/discharge cycles it has already been through an how much life is left in it.

My cost for one wrap + one insulator ring = 18.46 cents (including shipping). Batteries here are $13.99, plus shipping. I'd go for the rewrap. Admittedly I can't buy a wrap or insulator ring singly, but I paid about $8 for 50 rings and 20 wraps, and it's likely that over the years I'll get around to using most of the wraps although probably not the rings.

Additionally, a local Vape Shop rewraps batteries for free. @dripster might want to check around local B&Ms to see if there's a similar service locally.

 

[SteveS45]

I saw the $1.50 price and did not notice it was for 20 pieces but I was in my truck plowing snow for 10 hours and I am tired. But batteries from LIION run around $5 for a Samsung.

 

[Hawise]

I saw the $1.50 price and did not notice it was for 20 pieces but I was in my truck plowing snow for 10 hours and I am tired. But batteries from LIION run around $5 for a Samsung.

Yeah, funny how things all blur together when you're tired.

The OP is in Belgium, so I was taking a bit of a guess that prices there would be closer to what I get in Canada than what you have in the States.

 

[SteveS45]

Yeah I still see white going past me in my peripheral vision every time I close my eyes! We were supposed to have an 18-20 inch Blizzard which was more rain but made the snow like wet cement. This 8 inch storm was tougher to deal with than the last 15 inches of snow that fell.

 

[tokarev]

All the brackets on my Nitecore charger were difficult to slide. I applied some WD-40 and now they slide effortlessly. Silicone lubricant should work just as well. As for the insulator, I'd probably replace it or maybe put a dab of some kind of sealant on the cut to prevent a short. The cheapest option for insulators and wraps would probably be Fasttech. I have some just in case but so far I have been lucky and not had to use them.

 

[Mowgli]

20 insulator rings for $1.50 or 40 for $2 - 18650 Flat Top Battery Terminal Insulators - 20pcs Matte White

100 wraps for about $3 - SHOP FDV

I tried many different wraps and like the FDV the best. Too bad he doesn't sell insulator rings also. I have IMR Batteries' wraps on a pair and they're pretty good I just like FDV's wraps better. YMMV

Here's an old but good simple tutorial - How To Re-Wrap 18650 Batteries

 

[dripster]

Thanks everyone who replied. It seems to me the ring, or washer is only there because it acts like a cushion of sorts between the shrink wrap and the rim so IMO its only protective function is to keep the edge of the shrink wrap from too easily being snagged by sharp objects / metal objects from too easily getting inserted between the cap and rim (as that could potentially result in a hard short, which in turn could potentially result in thermal runaway), and IMO the washer probably also helps to ensure the edge of the shrink wrap will shrink nice and evenly around the cap during the wrapping process. As long as the shrink wrap itself doesn't get damaged a single small cut in the washer is nothing really serious enough.

 

[Imfallen_Angel]

Thanks everyone who replied. It seems to me the ring, or washer is only there because it acts like a cushion of sorts between the shrink wrap and the rim so IMO its only protective function is to keep the edge of the shrink wrap from too easily being snagged by sharp objects / metal objects from too easily getting inserted between the cap and rim (as that could potentially result in a hard short, which in turn could potentially result in thermal runaway), and IMO the washer probably also helps to ensure the edge of the shrink wrap will shrink nice and evenly around the cap during the wrapping process. As long as the shrink wrap itself doesn't get damaged a single small cut in the washer is nothing really serious enough.

NO! Absolutely and completely wrong!
(I say this out of concern here)

The insolation ring is called an insolution ring because it's insulating the positive from the negative! It is 100% important that the ring is intact.

The shrink wrap is there to hold it in place, that's it's real role.

Batteries are a cylinder that the chemicals and contents are "poured" into it, making the whole battery body being negative with only the positive pin being separated by a VERY SMALL "gasket", and that INSULATION RING is covering that to ensure that nothing makes a contact between this 1-2mm area.

Look at the top of your batteries, that ring is hiding that tiny separation between the two poles.. the wrap is only there as a coating for most of the battery (and labels), and it's most important role is to hold that ring in place.

If that ring is damaged, you are risking a short.

That ring is the actual line of safety and defense to prevent you accidentally touching both poles together, including as you insert or remove the battery from your mod or charger as you drag this area across metal pins.

By the way, I have the same charger... pull the battery down, the spring loaded clips will go down and all you need is to pull the battery out, with the positive side not touching anything...

Same with inserting or removing from mods, always do it so that you put no pressure on the positive side.

 

[Imfallen_Angel]

All the brackets on my Nitecore charger were difficult to slide. I applied some WD-40 and now they slide effortlessly. Silicone lubricant should work just as well. As for the insulator, I'd probably replace it or maybe put a dab of some kind of sealant on the cut to prevent a short. The cheapest option for insulators and wraps would probably be Fasttech. I have some just in case but so far I have been lucky and not had to use them.

Just though I'd mention... WD-40 is NOT an actual lubricant, it's a Water Displacement agent, and while it does have some lubrication qualities upon spraying it, but it time, it will gum up, possibly dry out and you'll be left with a powder-like gritty coating that is actually quite bad for your devices. It's fine/great for temporarily unstuck some things, but in the long run, you should always wipe/clean anything that you use it on and lube with an appropriate lubricant. It this case, something non conductive, and a good silicone grease would be great.