Do old PRAM batteries have a habit of exploding when dropped? I thought it would more be due to a breakdown of the battery casing through leakage, exposure to damp conditions or overheating.

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Corrosion from the inside is certainly possible. Also I suspect, but do not care to prove, that the battery will eventually explode if the SMT version of the 1N914 blocking diode in series with the battery starts to leak for any reason, including electrolytic capacitor crap, and allows the battery to be charged by the +5V.