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Get Lithium Metal from an Energizer Battery

video Get Lithium Metal from an Energizer Battery

We show you how to get Lithium Metal from an Energizer Ultimate Lithium battery.

There are a great many types of lithium batteries and the particular chemistry of interest is "lithium iron disulfide" batteries which contain pure lithium metal and less toxic electrolyte than other batteries. Lithium ion batteries do not contain lithium metal (just lithium ions) and other pure metal lithium batteries often contain incredibly toxic electrolyte that make them too dangerous for the average person to safely open.

It just so happens that the popular Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries are based on lithium iron disulfide chemistry making them the ideal choice for the home chemist to obtain lithium.

The rolled lithium core is protected by a mini-fortress of steel that you have to cut through. The danger is accidentally shorting the battery and causing the internal materials to fuse. The video shows you what you have to go through and what to expect when opening an energizer ultimate lithium battery.

Lithium is a powerful chemical reducing agent, it's also used for lithiation reactions in organic synthesis, batteries, unusual pyrotechnic formulations and some types of nuclear technologies.

It's in the same category as the alkali metals which include the ever so popular sodium, potassium and cesium.

if you like this video, please visit our channel at http://www.youtube.com/NurdRage

85 comments

1-40 of 85

Apr 16, 2011. 4:09 PMfinniano says:

can you do the same thing with energizer lithium photo batteries? it is 3 volts. it doesnt say that its ultimate lithium, but the packaging is blue and silver just like the ultimate lithium ones.

Nov 21, 2011. 8:52 PMginbot86 says:

Yes, Energizer lithium photo batteries will work as they are lithium-manganese dioxide batteries. The lithium might be more difficult to obtain cleanly, but don't quote me on it as I haven't taken one of those apart.

Mar 20, 2011. 5:12 PMdocm8trx says:

dont tell that kid how to make anhydrous....if AFTER reading this particular ible, he wants to make the other, he probably wants to make a certain substance that will remove the enamel from his teeth. also, its easier to remove the strips if you first soak the cells in acetone then pull off the pos terminal withdiagonal cutters...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee carrrrrrrrrrefulllllllllll.....

Mar 20, 2011. 2:28 PMfurlow says:

You have increase the sales of lithium AA batteries I think all battery companies will be happy! Since most products now include their own batteries.

Mar 20, 2011. 12:11 PMkiko2704 says:

NurdRage can I use dead/used batteries?

Mar 19, 2011. 2:53 PMomnibot says:

Oooohhh, I have got to get me some of those batteries!!

Apr 12, 2010. 4:13 PMbignerd says:

is there an easier way?
also, when i was doing it and the pliers hit the edge it makes a spark
does that mean its shorted out?

Dec 21, 2010. 12:01 AMhintss says:

yes.

for a short time, probably not bad, but yes...

Jun 21, 2010. 1:40 PMSaturn V says:

Why would you want lithium? What practical uses does it have?

Dec 20, 2010. 11:59 PMhintss says:

it burns on contact with air. some type of igniter that lights on impact?

Oct 23, 2010. 1:57 PM

funke75 says:

I remember from highschool chemistry that some metals can be stored in mineral oil to prevent there oxidation. I believe my teacher had sodium stored this way because of its volitile reaction. would this be a viable way to store the lithium? and if so, would we be able to save the lithium from oxidizing even more if we did your unwraping process under mineral oil so that it never even touchs the air?

Dec 20, 2010. 11:55 PMhintss says:

I believe if you buy lithium, it is shipped that way, so yes.

Dec 14, 2010. 11:55 PMjessmt says:

NurdRage... Please tell us about yourself; or is that forbidden? Why the voice disguise? Afriad of all the teen guys here hitting on you, or up to no good?
Anyway, I like your videos... very interesting, here's a pointer for your Nitric Acid Mfg:
Sulfuric Acid (drain opener), Potassium or sodium nitrate like in the last way you show but with much better results if you pull a vacuum during distillation. Less decomp and it comes out crystal clear.
I bet all the Al-Qaeda wanna-be's love you! Oh no... the FBI!
Have fun!

Oh! By the way... What is the electrolyte on the CR123 (3v) lithium batteries? They reek of ether so I assume that is one of the things in there.

Sep 25, 2010. 8:23 PMredlizard5 says:

Could you put the lithium into a zip lock bag for storage

Aug 30, 2010. 5:46 AMIvraine says:

I read somewhere that pyrite is used to create sulfur dioxide, which is used to make sulfuric acid. Can the iron disulphide in the batteries be used like pyrite? Or am I just confusing two separate chemicals?

Aug 29, 2010. 10:29 AM

AndyGadget says:

What is the chemistry of a discharged Energizer Lithium battery - Would I be right in thinking metallic iron and lithium disulphide?
Does this have any interesting properties?

Jul 21, 2010. 5:48 AM

.Unknown. says:

I did this, right, but on my last go, after pulling out the core, I started to unravel it, and it suddenly burst in to red flames....wth?

Jul 9, 2010. 3:37 PMthorpenny says:

what is the chance that this metal (powdered) would act as a good fuel in a flash powder composition?

Jun 4, 2010. 7:49 PMYoungPyro19 says:

Thank you for putting another idea in my head NurdRage. Do you think you can do a synthesis on anhydrous hydrazine? I really need to know how to synthesize hydrazine. I have searched high and low for a synthesis and have had no results. It really frustrates me that I lack this knowledge.

Jun 4, 2010. 7:53 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

I could... but why would you want it?

Jun 5, 2010. 6:11 PMYoungPyro19 says:

I'd rather not say but if it’s not too much trouble I'd really appreciate a demonstration of the synthesis.

Jun 5, 2010. 6:33 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

the pure form is dangerously unstable. For most uses, salt forms are preferable and much safer to handle. But to make a video on a particular salt form i need to know what you're going to use it for so i know what salt would be best.

Jun 5, 2010. 6:50 PMYoungPyro19 says:

Boy, I have a lot to learn. I wish to make Astrolite. I don't plan on making it anytime soon because I've only had a little experience in high explosives. It would be unwise of me to jump from simple primary explosive synthesis to something that is more complex.

Jun 2, 2010. 10:48 AMinsolest says:

Another way to remove the shell of the battery is with a hand held pipe cutter. I used the type for cutting copper pipe. First remove the label. Second, cut around the indent at the top of the battery to simultaneously remove the inner cap, spacer, and release valve from the main portion of the battery. Third, I cut the battery's casing with the pipe cutter near the middle. This process bends some of the metal casing into the core of the battery, but if the metal casing is cut gently, then no real damage occurs. Fourth, the core must be extracted. This requires some force (due to the bent edge where the pipe cutter was used). Then follow NurdRage's instructions. Thank you NurdRage for the idea!

May 24, 2010. 5:18 PMDarter76 says:

Is there any way to un-ionize the lithium metal from a lithium ion battery? If there is i would like to know because i have about 30 sitting around collecting dust and would like to do anything with them.

May 24, 2010. 6:10 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

technically yeah.... but it's so complicated, expensive, and requires specialized equipment that it's not worth doing for the home experimenter.

At least that's from the methods i know currently, if i ever find a way to do it i'll post an instructable.

May 1, 2010. 12:06 PMrobotman3 says:

im so doing that.

Jun 19, 2009. 1:04 PMTomCarew27 says:

I tried this instructable and it worked really well. It's a lot harder than it looks . I was wondering why does the metal fizz when you put into water?

Jun 19, 2009. 1:06 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

It's like sodium, it reacts with water to produce hydrogen

Jun 19, 2009. 11:26 PMlobo_pal says:

If I recall correctly, sometimes it will form H3 instead of H2 and cause an even more violent reaction.

Jun 19, 2009. 11:29 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

H3 doesn't exist under normal conditions.

Jun 20, 2009. 8:34 AMlobo_pal says:

In Chem AP we watched a sodium reaction, and he explained the sometimes the Hydrogen rush to meet and three of them hit at once causing H3 which then reacts again to make two H2 with another Hydrogen. Right?

Jun 20, 2009. 9:29 AM

NurdRage (author) says:

O_o whoa... the sheer idiocy.... Would explain why he's a teacher and not an actual scientist. Trihydrogen cations are present in extreme gaseous conditions like gas plasma discharges and interstellar clouds. But in an aqueous medium, anything powerful enough to protonate hydrogen gas would already be reactive with other things like the water or whatever else happens to be nearby long before it can produce trihyrogen cations.

Jun 20, 2009. 2:00 PMlobo_pal says:

I may not be repeating it right, but he said that for some reason that escapes me that some reactions are more violent than others.

Jun 20, 2009. 3:10 PM

NurdRage (author) says:

there are plenty of reasons for alkali metal reations to be violent. maybe that's what he meant but didn't properly explain why.

Jun 20, 2009. 5:14 PMlobo_pal says:

Well, I'm starting my major in Chem E in the fall, so I'm trying to study up on stuff.

Jan 31, 2010. 12:02 PMARVash says:

Perhaps our Lobo misheard and he was instead saying Deuterium and Tritium aka ^2H and ^3H, Hydrogen Isotopes.

Feb 18, 2010. 8:12 PMTheBestJohn says:

also isn't H3 tritium? The radioactive gas that glows under it's own radiation?

Mar 4, 2010. 6:25 PMdpsilver says:

but saying H3 isnt saying tritium its like saying H2 is dueterium and thats only 1/3 correct H2 can be tritium, dueterium or protium and can be a mix of all three and i dont suppose saying H is saying hydrogen gas

Feb 3, 2010. 2:09 PMhistory323 says:

Thanks for the instrucable i have an element collection and could not find cheap lithium (my budget is fairly low) for the life of me!
Also thanks for all your effort in helping aspiring chemists like me to learn all about chemistry!!!
Also have you ever read/heard of the Golden book of Chemistry? It has lots of cool experiments to try in it heres a link to the pdf since its banned from the library :( http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/08/05/banned-book-the-golden-book-of-chemistry-experiments.htm
Thanks again!

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