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I accidentally made a small puncture in an old li-ion battery while replacing it in my phone (it's stuck on pretty tightly with adhesive). A couple of sparks, but no flames. It has been safely disposed of.

The damaged battery emitted a sweet smell after it was punctured, so I immediately went outside to complete the removal. I feel fine and everything, I just want to be sure; is there any potential harm that could come from briefly inhaling the fumes?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Apart from any chemical hazard, I am amazed you'd even consider continuing to use a battery that you know is damaged. The potential risks with Li-Ion are well know, why take a risk like this? \$\endgroup\$ – Jack Creasey Feb 18 '17 at 23:32
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    \$\begingroup\$ @JackCreasey The OP was removing the battery he punctured. There is no hint in the post that he wants to reuse the damaged battery. \$\endgroup\$ – Lorenzo Donati supports Monica Feb 18 '17 at 23:34
  • \$\begingroup\$ @JackCreasey: I guess I wasn't clear enough. The battery I punctured was the one I was replacing. I punctured it by accident while trying to pry it free from the adhesive that glued it to the phone chassis. It's been disposed of. \$\endgroup\$ – Recovering Nerdaholic Feb 19 '17 at 1:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ Hydrofluoric acid vapor can cause severe side effects with lung and skin contact. In future use safe enclosures or avoid use. You were lucky. slideshare.net/delphine1990/hydrofluoric-acid-3 \$\endgroup\$ – Tony Stewart Sunnyskyguy EE75 Feb 19 '17 at 2:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ concordia.ca/content/dam/.../docs/… page 6 \$\endgroup\$ – Tony Stewart Sunnyskyguy EE75 Feb 19 '17 at 2:47
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Not that I'm aware of. I've done the same from time to time. Acute exposure has never been problematic. What's inside is some kind of organic solvent that's proprietary. Knowing that and what we know about toxicity of organic solvents, your body may accumulate these over time if you have repeated exposure resulting in illness years down the line. If this is a one time thing, don't sweat it. Just don't make it a habit.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Thanks! I know I always tend to get extra paranoid about these kinds of things. Certainly not intending to make it a habit :) \$\endgroup\$ – Recovering Nerdaholic Feb 18 '17 at 23:15

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