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Fire hazard of WHY2025 badge due to 18650 Li-Ion cells
Badge/Fire hazard This document was originally posted in two places: - https://forum.revspace.nl/t/warning-why2025-badge-is-a-fire-hazard/684 - https://wiki.why2025.org/Badge/Fire_hazard A response was published by IFCAT: - https://why2025.org/post/822 This page is also reachable via WHY18650.org WHY2025 badge fire hazard advisory The WHY2025 badge is a fire hazard when used with unprotected cells. Unprotected cells themselves are intrinsically unsafe and require additional safety measures which are not provided by the badge.
Unfortunately, with this edition's design and intended use, the only thing preventing a fire is, basically, a thin layer of paint (actually resin (solder mask)). A short circuit can cause parts to overheat, posing a burn or fire risk to nearby materials (e.g. skin, clothing, luggage). Some design patterns that would be merely sketchy or even completely fine in a properly enclosed product, can easily become dangerous when people wear and store a bare PCB.
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