Li Po battery balooned up

[reb78]

I have a device with a little 3.7v LiPo in it like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/402030-Rechargeable-Replacement-Electronic-Bluetooth/dp/B09YQ2QPVL

I charged it a few days ago and suspect it was very flat. Unplugged it when the LED went green and left it on the side. Noticed tonight that the casing had come apart. The battery appears to have swelled and popped the casing off. With all the horror stories of batteries spontaneously going up, should I stick this outside somewhere? What's the best way to dispose of it?

 

[voipio]

Has the battery had much use?

 

[Barking Mat]

I have a device with a little 3.7v LiPo in it like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/402030-Rechargeable-Replacement-Electronic-Bluetooth/dp/B09YQ2QPVL

I charged it a few days ago and suspect it was very flat. Unplugged it when the LED went green and left it on the side. Noticed tonight that the casing had come apart. The battery appears to have swelled and popped the casing off. With all the horror stories of batteries spontaneously going up, should I stick this outside somewhere? What's the best way to dispose of it?

Put it the used battery bin at your local supermarket or recycling centre.

 

[reb78]

Has the battery had much use?

Almost none at all. It's 2 years old

 

[Kram]

Stop using as it wont be much good now but chances are its not a fire risk, let it cool down if warm. They are most dangerous with a full charge, and nearly tame when empty.

What type of device? Preferably discharge fully by turning on/using the device and storing it in a fire proof area/outside.

If the device is worth keeping, open it up and cut the wires to battery - one at a time and different lengths so that they cant touch.

I had some sitting on my desk for years after doing that.

Note that lithiums use a flammable electrolyte, so when they do go up, its somewhat similar to a fuel cannister doing a BLEVE.

Peircing the wrapper carefully will let any gasses out.

One issue is few places will take naked lithium cells. Our local tip went up twice and was blamed on lithiums. Shop battery collections are only for normal dispoable types, Im told.

Theres almost zero lithium in them, very difficult to recycle. In many ways its best to landfill them after fully discharging.

I did once hit a fully charged, swollen one, with a 7.5kg sledge hammer. I was extremely disappointed, the bag popped but nothing more.

 

[dobbslc]

I had one in a head torch that did that, I took it out and smacked it with a hammer as you do and it did nothing
I replaced it with a new battery off Ebay and it's still working ok.

 

[Nomad]

As above..

It's one of the smallest ones, ask Google for latest disposal advice or just put it in the bin...

 

[skotl]

 

[Melvyn Best]

Our local bin lorry’s have had loads of fire due to incorrectly disposal of batteries so putting it in the bin perhaps isn’t the best thing to do with it?

 

[cheb]

I lob mine into a bucket of sea water until I next go to the tip. Sometimes they're in there for over 12 hours.

 

[Robotstar5]

Our local bin lorry’s have had loads of fire due to incorrectly disposal of batteries so putting it in the bin perhaps isn’t the best thing to do with it?

Do they apply the "dump the burning load in the road to save the wagon" rule?.

 

[Kayos]

Stop using as it wont be much good now but chances are its not a fire risk, let it cool down if warm. They are most dangerous with a full charge, and nearly tame when empty.

What type of device? Preferably discharge fully by turning on/using the device and storing it in a fire proof area/outside.

If the device is worth keeping, open it up and cut the wires to battery - one at a time and different lengths so that they cant touch.

I had some sitting on my desk for years after doing that.

Note that lithiums use a flammable electrolyte, so when they do go up, its somewhat similar to a fuel cannister doing a BLEVE.

Peircing the wrapper carefully will let any gasses out.

One issue is few places will take naked lithium cells. Our local tip went up twice and was blamed on lithiums. Shop battery collections are only for normal dispoable types, Im told.

Theres almost zero lithium in them, very difficult to recycle. In many ways its best to landfill them after fully discharging.

I did once hit a fully charged, swollen one, with a 7.5kg sledge hammer. I was extremely disappointed, the bag popped but nothing more.

I destroyed a disposable vape with an axe, it didn't catch fire but it got very hot and let lots of smoke out when I hit the battery

 

[bricol]

The recommendation for model car use used to be, and might still be, to dump it in a container of salt water for a good few days.

At the very least, I would put it outside on something that won't burn. It might go up, it might not.

 

[graffian]

I had one in a head torch that did that, I took it out and smacked it with a hammer as you do and it did nothing
I replaced it with a new battery off Ebay and it's still working ok.

I unrolled an 18650 battery and hammered a nail though it.
Mucho smoke poured out of it but no flames.

I was given an old mobile phone a few weeks ago, and it had a very swollen battery.
I chucked it in the bag of batteries that was stuck out for the bin men.

 

[Pete.]

Had a RC car one balloon up belonging to a visitor to our house on BBQ day. I got it out of the house pronto and a short while later it went up in a big way. Since then there's been no charging of them allowed in our house.
When it went up (in the garden) you cpuld feel the heat from 25 feet away.

 

[ms08]

As above in a bucket of salt water for a day or so to fully discharge it.

 

[Keith 66]

A friends workshop burnt down a few years back, fire brigade said cause most likely a lithium battery pack for a battery drill that had been left on charge overnight. It took all his tools & a brand new wooden boat he had just built, she was two days from launching.

 

[redlig]

Stop using as it wont be much good now but chances are its not a fire risk, let it cool down if warm. They are most dangerous with a full charge, and nearly tame when empty.

What type of device? Preferably discharge fully by turning on/using the device and storing it in a fire proof area/outside.

If the device is worth keeping, open it up and cut the wires to battery - one at a time and different lengths so that they cant touch.

I had some sitting on my desk for years after doing that.

Note that lithiums use a flammable electrolyte, so when they do go up, its somewhat similar to a fuel cannister doing a BLEVE.

Peircing the wrapper carefully will let any gasses out.

One issue is few places will take naked lithium cells. Our local tip went up twice and was blamed on lithiums. Shop battery collections are only for normal dispoable types, Im told.

Theres almost zero lithium in them, very difficult to recycle. In many ways its best to landfill them after fully discharging.

I did once hit a fully charged, swollen one, with a 7.5kg sledge hammer. I was extremely disappointed, the bag popped but nothing more.

Being nosy I shot at a lipo with a 177 airgun to see the result ,if any. It sat there for a couple of seconds and then gracefully burst into flames and took about 10 minutes to burn out . Pretty impressive .

 

[minimutly]

Stop using as it wont be much good now but chances are its not a fire risk, let it cool down if warm. They are most dangerous with a full charge, and nearly tame when empty.

What type of device? Preferably discharge fully by turning on/using the device and storing it in a fire proof area/outside.

If the device is worth keeping, open it up and cut the wires to battery - one at a time and different lengths so that they cant touch.

I had some sitting on my desk for years after doing that.

Note that lithiums use a flammable electrolyte, so when they do go up, its somewhat similar to a fuel cannister doing a BLEVE.

Peircing the wrapper carefully will let any gasses out.

One issue is few places will take naked lithium cells. Our local tip went up twice and was blamed on lithiums. Shop battery collections are only for normal dispoable types, Im told.

Theres almost zero lithium in them, very difficult to recycle. In many ways its best to landfill them after fully discharging.

I did once hit a fully charged, swollen one, with a 7.5kg sledge hammer. I was extremely disappointed, the bag popped but nothing more.

If in doubt build a fire outside and lob it in. Stand well back....

 

[Kram]

Also instead of a dometic bin which will be collected by a compactor lorry, you could throw in a council street bin. These are collected by plain tipper trucks and wont be crushed, so a far lower risk of fire.

& a brand new wooden boat he had just built, she was two days from launching.

I know of a few people that have built boats. They all seem to catch fire and burn down shortly before or after launching and I always wonder if its to collect a big insurance payout.