Storage
Batteries can be stored satisfactorily at room temperature and are stable at high temperatures. The maximum storage and operating temperatures are limited by jacket shrinkage.

Containment
Avoid potting or encapsulation as this obstructs the pressure relief vent. This vent is required to prevent excessive pressure buildup if the battery is exposed to very high temperatures.

Charging
Battery is a primary battery and NOT designed to be recharged.

Connections
Use the same battery pressure contacts you would use for alkaline cells. Solder connections are not recommended, and if welded connections are needed, they should be made to the nickel-plated positive cap and the nickel-plated cell bottom using a capacitor discharge welder (normal alkaline cell welding procedures).

Safety Warning
Fire, explosion, burn hazard. Do not open battery, dispose of in fire, heat above the speified temperature, expose contents to water, recharge, put in backwards, mix with used or other battery types.

Thermal Switch Characteristics & Considerations
Battery packs should contains a (resetable) thermal switch called a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) or Polyswitch device. This switch protects the battery from overheating if externally short circuited, charged or forced into deep discharge. This device is not a true switch since it does not have a completely off condition. Rather, it is a current limiter. When the PTC reaches the activation temperature, its resistance increases very rapidly. This reduces the flow of current, allowing the battery to cool. When the PTC cools to below the activation temperature, its resistance drops to a normal level. The PTC will continue to cycle from a low resistance state to a high resistance state for many cycles if the abusive condition continues or the battery is later exposed to other such conditions.

There are two factors which determine if or when the PTC will activate. One is the ambient temperature and the other is the internal heating that occurs as the result of discharge. The higher the rate of discharge (the heavier the drain or load on the battery), the more heat is generated. On light loads the heat dissipates and is not noticeable, but on heavy drains the battery may become noticeably warm. If the load is too heavy, the PTC will heat up to the activation temperature. The higher the ambient temperature, the lower the load that the PTC will tolerate without activating.

All of the following can affect the ambient temperature or the internal heating during discharge:

• Surrounding air temperature
• Thermal insulating properties of the battery container
• Heat generated by equipment components
• Cumulative heating effects of many batteries
• Discharge rate(s) and duration(s)
• Frequency and length of rest periods

Because of the number of other variables involved, it is difficult to predict in advance whether the battery can operate under certain load conditions. The most reliable method to determine this is to test the batteries in the device of interest under normal worst case conditions. While the PTC does impose some limitations on applications for which the battery is suitable, it is a critical element in ensuring that the battery is safe, protecting the battery, the equipment and the user.