Added: 2 years ago
From: AnestisLab
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  • instead of paraffin can I use the oil that we use to cook??

  • Is it pure Lithium ?

  • also does an AAA energizer battery work to?

  • @unthergunthermunther way to completely ignore what I said. it won;t let me post the MSDS, but you should google "Lithium MSDS"

    This explains the health hazards associated with the material. Read that and tell me this isn't a harmful material. Yes it does state skin contact is harmful and no, I did not say you were going to get cancer, i just said it was a harmful material.

  • why the hell do u need a mask more specific plz, what happens when you open the battery?? what do we have to avoid when opining the shit??

  • You can store it in unscented baby oil. 

  • ***IMPORTANT*** Can I store it in vegtable oil? Because I'm Keeping it that.

  • This is the best video on extracting lithium from cells.

    Thank you for making it .well done.

    Please wear safety glasses while doing this.

  • Wich gasses does it make when it reacts with water?

    

  • @007Theuploader Lithium oxide and hydrogen are the products, I think.

  • So, the oxygen in the water destroys the lithium?

  • potassium is much more fun :D

  • By "mineral oil" don't you mean no fragrance baby oil that costs $2?

  • If the lithium battery is dead will you still get a good amount of lithium?

  • what do you do if it gets hot

  • @KewwiNicole if it gets hot you chuck it outside and waite, else it may blow up in your hand. 

  • Try opening a lithium-thionyl chloride battery.

  • @LanthanumK Where do i buy those

  • why is this your only video?

  • this method is a lot safer than nurdrage's method as his method which involves pulling off the end cap can cause the battery to short out and explode, while this method is a lot safer, easier and quicker!

  • can i use another type of oil?

  • i did this about 2 hours ago, i touched it many times without gloves, i didnt put a mask on, even when i did the water experiment, but after that i gave my hands a good bath of alcohol and my lungs some fresh air, i dont feel anything bad.

  • @uxa1 Why argue with safety? gloves are cheap compared to curing cancer. You aren't going to feel your skin absorb chemicals all the time.

  • @pickford7812 u stupid dumb ass theirs nothing involving cancer 

  • Oh it's small so it can fit in close to a refrigerator compressor when replacing or charging it out. Mostly used by refrigeration tech's.

  • how much lithium is obtained through this method per battery

    ? I want to store 24 batteries worth of lithium.

  • Breath the

    Gas it gives u super powers

  • What is the instrument you used to cut the battery called?

  • @countolaf32 Please refer to (much older) previous comments! Thanks for watching! :)

  • @AnestisLab well what is the instrument then i cant find the previous answer?

  • @TheBlabla1996 It is a tube cutter. It is used for cutting tubes from relatively soft metals. :)

  • @AnestisLab thanks i saw it already in the discription

  • @TheBlabla1996 you fucking asshole its on the video description

  • @countolaf32 a pipe cutter

  • @kapoios79 Thanks

  • @countolaf32 It's a Lithium Extractor...

  • @Hartiger Hahahahahaha! Nice try, I know it's a pipe cutter. That actually made me laugh out loud though.

  • @countolaf32 its a pipe cutter

  • @countolaf32 I used one several years ago to cut 1/4'' tubing, we called in an imp, short for Imperal tool mfg. they make several styles of cutters all of them for cutting copper tubing.

  • @countolaf32 you fucking asshole its in the video description

  • @Wayavas1337 You, sir, are the asshole. I merely asked a question.

  • @countolaf32 pipe cutter

  • is it possible to store it in hydrocarbonate or wat ever its called, like tinner, etc

  • @farshad94abedi Hydrocarbon; and no, I wouldn't recommend it... It is not impossible though as long as it is dry! :)

  • @farshad94abedi tinner, I don't know what the composition is. You can store in gasoline, benzene or any hydrocarbon. You can store in methane, ethane, propane, butane.

  • what I do is I take the battery, I gently peel back the top so I can remove the positive diode and the fuse, and then I open it up wide enough to grab the contents and slowly peel from the middle out, and it comes out very easily, and best of all, you get ALL of the lithium out of it.

  • @drewnickel Using the method you described you increase the possibility of shorting the battery... And I can assure you that with the tube cutter method you get ALL the lithium too! :)

  • @AnestisLab I kinda figured that out after I tried mine, and before watching this video. I shorted like 3 batteries so I just switched to yours, cause with mine the lithium oxidizes before I can get it into mineral oil.

  • @AnestisLab also what are the dangers of electrolytes? I've been exposed to them before and have no ill effects "only for a few minutes at a time in a fairly well ventilated room though"

  • what was your pipe-cutter made of? plastic? I mean, did you really need to turn it 1000 times! lol

  • @msshauna1978 the pipe cutter is a steel/brass/aluminum pipe cutter, it's made of steel. it can easily cut the steel case of the battery. and yes he really does, if you tighten it too much you can un evenly cut it and make it hard to remove the lithium, or release the electrolytes. you have to tighten and twist gradually or it'll be too hard to turn the battery.

  • @drewnickel thank you much for clarifying. I really made my comment in jest. Did seem like forever though... getting through the case. LOVE this kind of stuff; can't get enough. PEACE!

  • @drewnickel Thanks a lot for answering! :D It is indeed slightly difficult to remove the lithium foil intact :P

  • if i was to put it in a water bottle and cap it would it explode like vinegar and baking soda or coke and mentos?

  • @iBProxE I guess it would... The Hydrogen produced creates a great pressure inside the bottle! It must be somehow more dangerous though...

  • never mind i got it : ]

  • what are u useing to open it?

  • Did you get that from your auto shop?

  • @KILLERQUACK32 Nope! From an electronics store.

  • It floats in mineral oil. It will be partially in air, dude!

  • @vmelkon Actually yes... To avoid this, you can only leave a small gap between the cap and the mineral oil. Any air left inside the container is normally consumed quite fast, forming a protective layer on lithium foil.

  • why don't they make rubedium battery

  • @MOTAofCC because rubedium isnt an element?

  • @jordanryaniscool Grammar nazi are so annoying.

  • @nicxtrem21 something like that.

  • @MOTAofCC because you would die ;D

    great idea though

  • @MOTAofCC because, lithium is the most metallic element, it's not as chemically reactive as rubidium but it's much more conductive than rubidium, that's why lithium batteries last 8x longer

  • how bout lithium polymer... can i get lithium from it? because i saw the video they make li-po using lithium sheets overlapped with a layer of somekind of plastic polymer..

  • @MarlboroClassic I really don't know anything about lithium polymer... Sorry :(

  • how many volts one battery

  • @MarlboroClassic

    They say 1.5V on the battery, but these generally read 1.8 on a multimeter. I don't know why, but that's always been the case with the ones I've checked.

  • @CoinCollecter2

    I think it's the 'nominal voltage' vs fully charged voltage.

  • It's not pure Lithium, but a Lithium salt. I am also a chemist and use lithium in many experiments, this Lithium still works and is just as good as real, pure, Lithium metal. But not as much of a powerful reaction.

  • @iamrandom837 Well, it is lithium metal but it is not of certified laboratory research purity... ;D

  • can you use any oil? PLEASE ANSWER BACK :)

  • @muzzyissoawesome If you could please just refer to previews comments you would make me very happy! I have already answered this question quite a lot of times... :D

  • @AnestisLab Okay, ill tryy, not promising ill find it :/

  • @AnestisLab Mineral oil, thanks :)

  • Comment removed

  • Very clever way of opening it. And on a previous comment you said lithium does not ignite the hydrogen by itself as sodium and potassium do, and correct me if im wrong but I think it's possible if the lithium is in powder form, more surface area= faster reaction= more heat= ignition!!!

  • @rob27222712 Yeah, of course! But it is actually rather unlikely to find lithium in powder form. Generally it is the most boring alkali metal - water reaction... :P

  • how much is the energizer price

  • @MarlboroClassic Here in Greece it is about 7 euros the pack of two. I suppose there isn't a big difference elsewhere...

  • Great video, I was kind of concerned that I would be throwing away about $20 if I tried this but after seeing this video I've been convinced :) Lithium is going to be the second of the rarer elements in my collection.

  • @TheBramptonMan Yeah! I love element collections! I don't actually have one... My interests are more on salt chemistry rather than elemental! (but I LOVE everey single element!!!) :D

  • This is a demonstration, not an experiment. :P

  • @keyloggersfiles Yes, actually! :)

  • can i put the lithium inside oil instead of parafin ??

  • @hitachi088 Hello! If you would be so kind to look the comments below you'd see that I've already answered! Thanks for watching! :D

  • I tried it with two batteries. I didn't manage to get it apart after I cut it, because whenever I tried it got warm, and in one case it made smoke and small sparks. Am I doing something wrong, or is it safe to ignore this? (I did cut the negative end, like in the video.)

  • @flarn2006 You must be very fast actually! Don't allow the cutter to penetrate very deep in the battery. It is a little difficult to take it apart. Don't be affraid to use force. I use the pliers in the video to take it apart.

  • is that a brand new Energizer batteries you are using ?

  • @nonameboyz Yes, of course! Lithium in old batteries is oxidized.

  • @AnestisLab

    i took apart an old phone battery that i had (lipol) and it didn't have any metal in it! do you think this is because its old or what???

  • @tim0090 Well, phone batteries aren't excactly "lithium batteries". They just contain salts of lithium (that's why they are officialy called Lithium Ion Batteries). Energizer Ultimate Lithium on the contrary contains elemental lithium.

  • @AnestisLab thanks for the good info :)

  • Brilliant. Now these batteries will be gone in a second. Lol.. and I was just reading a book that complained about "how hard it is to get lithium hydroxide." Yes... how hard it is to walk a few blocks...

  • @Sviolinist Yeah... Seems the book was old... :P

  • If you're going a few cells in a go, I'd suggest getting a cutter that has a butterfly nut for tightening it up. Those one's with knurled thumb screws work but, if you have to apply a lot of force repeatedly, they blister my hands quite effectively. the mole grips trip works quite well. i got my second cell open in about the same amount of time it's taken anestis

  • @lexichronicle2 Definitely! Butterfly nuts are far more easy to use!

  • better hope your cutter doesnt make the cross contact< fire Sucks

  • καλο

  • pipe cutter! genius!

  • @kintarben Thank you a lot! The easy way! ;)

  • Very clever method of opening the battery! It worked great for me, and was much simpler than trying to pry it open from the top. Now I've got a nice sample for my element collection :)

  • @mrhomescientist I love all those element collections! Keep it on! :D

  • Great technique!

    If I put some washing up liquid in the water to trap the hydrogen in the bubbles and then put a match to it, will I lose my eyebrows?!

  • @TwoTeasChris Thanks a lot! It will be a great experience to put some detergent and drop a match inside! :-P Just be a little careful because it is kind of exothermic the ignition of hydrogen! xD Good luck!

  • @TwoTeasChris yes

  • can you keep it in cooking oil or will it react with it?

  • @openarms332 Hello, I've already answered that in previews comments so please refer to them. Thanks for watching! :-)

  • @AnestisLab ok thank you

  • I recommend this instead, by NurdRage. He also explains the risks!

    watch?v=BliWUHSOalU&feature=fv­w

  • @MacroVamp Actually NurdRage's method increases the risk of an explosion or a short-circuit. That's why he describes so many possible risks. The only risk with the method presented here is if you touch the lithium foil with bare hands or if you inhale the toxic fumes released. I explain those risks too in the description of the video and I also recommend the use of gas mask and gloves. Thanks for the comment! :-)

  • @AnestisLab I know :) But I dont think everyone got a tool like that. But yeah, using his method increases the risk of shorting out the battery. Still, great video, and thanks alot.

    Dry chemist joke: "What do you do with a dead chemist? You Barium."

  • @MacroVamp Well, it's kind of professional tool but anyway... You Barium!!! xD That's hilarious! :-P

  • shake n bake baby!

  • re ma ise kipreos?

  • oxi... ellada :-)

  • you should probably store it in some petroleum jelly, because it floats in mineral oil

  • Yeah... Floating is an issue :-) Don't forget that lithium is the lightest metal. Well, you don't need to worry because if kept in an airtight container there's no problem. It's tarnish is protecting it from further oxidation. Mineral oil is required to avoid full air contact and water vapour. Petroleum jelly is not recommended because it is difficult to handle and quite messy... Anyway if your container is airtight and full of mineral oil, you won't have any problems. Thanks for watching! ;-)

  • @AnestisLab So if there is air between the mineral oil and lid of the container, I can't store the lithium in it? Let's say I'm using a weight to keep the lithium submerged also.

  • @Picapacapopo There is no problem! It's a very small quantity of gases and paraffin oil is not drying easily, so it's fine! There is no need for an extra weight! :-)

  • You should do this in a tub of oil. It costs 11$ for 4 batts where I live and I haven't tried it yet.

  • To dispose of lithium can I react it with water. Then neutralize the LiOH with vinegar (5% acetic acid). Then pour it down the drain.

  • I suppose yes! Lithium hydroxide when dissolved in water is not so dangerous. If the concentration is low you can dispose of it without neutralization.

  • @AnestisLab can you do anything with lithium hydroxide?

  • @Picapacapopo Well, LiOH is a precursor to most lithium salts. But LiOH and generally all lithium salts are almost useless in a typical lab. The purpose of this video is clearly experimental and has to do with the reaction of lithium with water and not its products. I have unfortunately not encountered any interesting reactions that involve lithium compounds...

  • @AnestisLab I've heard of covering lithium metal with LiOH to keep it from tarnishing from the air. Would that work? And how might I go about doing that?

  • @Picapacapopo No. They probably meant that LiOH can appear on lithium lumps as a product of oxidation by the moisture in the air, but there is not such a method for protecting lithium. Only mineral oil! :-)

  • @AnestisLab Ah, I see. Thank you!

  • @AnestisLab what would happen if you touch the lithium with your bare hands?

  • @flangoo22 Well, our skin contains water and therefore it will react! This reactions involves lithium hydroxide, which is not so dangerous but can for sure destroy your skin locally, and also emmits a lot of heat that can cause serious burns!

  • @AnestisLab thanks

  • actualy the most reactive element is cesium it actualy explodes i saw a test they put a couple milligrams blew up a fiberglass bathtub

  • A: that video is fake. they even admitted it.

    B: a few milligrams is way to little to even do much

    C: I believe he is referring to the activity series in which lithium is the most reactive. not cesium.

  • Can we use normal cooking oil ?

  • Thanks for watching! For the answer to your question check previous comments please! :-)

  • hey i have hte same pipe cutter :D

    also nice way of opening the batery uch saver then nerd rages... also people let this be a warning to you NEVER LET A LI METAL GET WET THEY REACT HORRIBLY AND WILL ILL U IF U BUT A HUGE CHUNK IN WATER

  • im too chicken to do this XD

  • your opening method is quite ingenious. i wonder if nurdrage has seen your video, his method was far more labor intense

  • Thanks a lot fedaikn! This method minimizes the risk of shorting the battery! And good science is safe science! ;-)

  • My thoughts exactly .

  • @fedaikn I agree. I just did some Energizers last night and used pliers. It took forever to get the first open, about 13 minutes of serious effect for one cell. I switched to using mole grips; vice grip, clamping adjustable pliers. That way I could easily squash the top of the next cell, popping the anode out. I actually have pretty much the same pipe cutter and was looking at it an hour before thinking "I'm sure I need that for something...."

  • @fedaikn I tried his and got the same result, but I got shocked and shorted several batteries. and I had the electrolites release, they dont really react well when inhaled

  • Hi, I've benn looking on how to do this experiment, lithium and water. I saw that if you put a piece of lithium in water it kinds of start burnin up, but now I see this video and it just smokes itself... Can you tell me how can I make to make it to burn down? thank you

  • Lithium is not so reactive with water as sodium or potassium is. So, it won't catch fire under its own heat. There are two options: 1. you heat the water in order to increase reaction rate (I'm not absolutely sure if this method works) 2. you use a match or a lighter in order to ignite the hydrogen produced. Thanks for watching!

  • no,the video u were watching is not lithium,its sodium or an alloy,lithium doesent ignite,only if directly burned

  • you could also use hydrochloric acid in place of water. i've done this and if u use enough lithium it usually puts on quite the show! just remember to do it outside. (DUH)

  • Good suggestion!!! If you like something more interesting, then hydrochloric acid (concentrated 37% :-P) is your best friend!

  • i'd be curious to know why you would want to get lithium out of batteries. what do you use it for?

  • Well, normally you won't use it anywhere. It's more useful inside a battery. We are just doing that for science and knowledge. On the other hand, I'm sure there are people who may want to use it for some specific reason. Personally I'm doing that only for science and research.

  • questions. i did this and i got the lithium and it started to smell like sulfer is this good? i had a breathing mask on but i could still smell it. also i placed the lithium inside a pill bottle with olive oil and i rapped it in two plastic bags and taped it. is this a good way to storage it? also should i keep it outside? or is inside fine? finally, will the lithium last inside its container or will it slowly tarnish away? sorry for all the questions but i really appreciate it=D thank you.

  • Thanks for the comment imaball! First of all please read other comments before you ask :-). The smell is not dangerous but is not good either. I advise to do this experiment outdoors. Olive oil is not recommended because it may contain water. Paraffin oil is strongly recommended and you don't need to put all this "armor" on your package. There is no problem with keeping it indoors and it will not tarnish as long as it is in a water free environment (paraffin oil). Thanks a lot for watching! :-D

  • Great video AnestisLab! Btw, can you tell me what are the gases in the Lithium battery. Do they contain mercury, or any sulfate compounds?

  • Thank you a lot! I really appreciate that eherothundergiant! No, they don't contain mercury at all but they contain some sulfate electrolytes. About the gases I don't know very much. You should probably check the Datasheet of the battery. But if the area where you're doing the experiment is well ventilated you don't have any problems!

  • next someone should put lithium in their mouth and breath on a candle

  • Good idea! xD And drink some water with it... :-P (Don't ever try this! xD xD xD)

  • I did this and could not get the core fully out from the battery since there was a slimy coating on the out side of it as a result i was exposed to it for roughly 5 to 6 minutes is that safe and any suggestions on how to get it out

  • Sorry, I'm a little late because I didn't notice this comment... Well, it smells terribly but it is not so dangerous. It is not very safe either :-). But no, you won't have any problems. You have to move fast in order not to destroy the battery. And you must have the mineral oil ready because, if you noticed, lithium becomes hot in contact with air.

  • i´ve done this lithium metal is soo cool :)

  • what would happen if you put all the lithium from one battery in watter? would it explode or what

  • Unfortunatelly, no explosions with lithium! :-) It is the least reactive alkali metal... So, it will just produce hydrogen gas and steam from the high temperature of the reaction. After sodium, the reactions become more exothermic causing self combustion.

  • well ya but youre wrong its the most reactive actually, just least reactive in water tho

  • I'm talking about water of course! Because yes, lithium is extremely reactive!

  • i have had lithium explode. i threw the whole roll of it in water but it wasn't as explosive as K or Na

    but small chunks only somtime explode in water if they are lit on fire first.

    btw good video

  • Thank you a lot megafeltch!!! Lithium in STP in water only produces hydrogen gas and steam because of the exothermic nature of the reaction. When heated, the reaction rate increases therefore increasing hydrogen production catching fire under its own heat.

  • can you use olive of vegetable oil instead of mineral oil?

  • As I said before, all vegetable and plant derivative oils contain water and small quantities of acid. So do not use them to store alkali metals.

  • Can you store them in baby oil im pretty sure its mineral oil with fragrance?

  • I'm not sure but baby oil has small quantities of water or other hydrating substances. So, just to avoid the reaction risk, use heavy paraffin oil!