Hey Everyone,
Two of my Li-po batteries are out of action, one ruined cell and the other pack puffed up to twice the normal size, and I want to get rid of them proporly because I do not want 2 damaged Li-Po batteries lieing around the house.

Also, Lets list safe ways of charging Lithium batteries. I.E. safty percations.

1. Charge in a ceramic flower pot with the lid over it.

2. charge in your fire place when it is not running.

3. Charge really slow.


-GCAC

Just found this at http://www.batterystation.com/SafetyNotes.htm

Thanks buddy

PUNCTURE SMALL HOLES!!!

Are you/they crazy!!!!

Some advice that i learned the hard way, don't puncture a Li-po batteries, especially with a metalic object.

I don't think that you need to puncture the holes in the cells to make them safe for disposal.

MYTH: the salt in the water de-activates the lithium.
That is incorrect. I just learned this a couple of days ago from a friend. All the salt water 0does is act as a resistor to completely discharge the batterie to make it safe(er) to thow away.

NOTE: NEVER PUNCTURE A LI-PO BATTERY, UNLESS YOU GET IT ON VIDEO OF IT CATCHING ON FIRE AND/OR BLOWING UP IN YOUR FACE AND THEN SEND THE VIDEO TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE SO THEY LEARN NOT TO PUNCTURE LI-PO BATTERIES.

Check out this link to see what happens to a Kokam 1500mah 3cell li-po when it is over-charged:

http://www.helihobby.com/videos/LithiumBattery.wmv

have a nice day,

-Keith

This post has been edited by gcac399: Jun 15 2005, 11:54 PM

According with Thunder Power this is the proper way to dispose a lipo battery:

** DISPOSAL OF LIPO BATTERIES **
Unlike NiCd batteries, lithium-polymer batteries are environmentally friendly.
For safety reasons, it’s best that LiPo cells be fully discharged before disposal (however, if physically damaged it is NOT recommended to discharge LiPo cells before disposal - see below for details). The batteries must also be cool before proceeding with disposal instructions. To dispose of LiPo cells and packs:

1. If any LiPo cell in the pack has been physically damaged, resulting in a swollen cell or a split or tear in a cell’s foil covering, do NOT discharge the battery. Jump to step 5.

2. Place the LiPo battery in a fireproof container or bucket of sand.

3. Connect the battery to a LiPo discharger. Set the discharge cutoff voltage to the lowest possible value. Set the discharge current to a C/10 value, with “C” being the capacity rating of the pack. For example, the “1C” rating for a 1200mAh battery is 1.2A, and that battery’s C/10 current value is (1.2A / 10) can be used, such as a power resistor or set of light bulbs as long as the discharge current doesn’t exceed the C/10 value and cause an overheating condition. For LiPo packs rated at 7.4V and 11.1V , connect a 150 ohm resistor with a power rating of 2 watts (commonly found at Radio Shack)to the pack’s positive and negative terminals to safely discharge connecting it to an ESC/ motor system and allowing the motor to run indefinitely until no power remains to further cause the system to function.

4. Discharge the battery until its voltage reaches 1.0V per cell or lower. For resistive load type discharges, discharge the battery for up to 24 hours.

5. Submerse the battery into bucket or tub of salt water. This container should have a lid, but it should not need to be air-tight. Prepare a plastic container (do not use metal) of cold water. And mix in 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water. Drop the battery into the salt water. Allow the battery to remain in the tub of salt water for at least 2 weeks.

6. Remove the LiPo battery from the salt water, wrap it in newspaper or paper towels and place it in the normal trash. They are landfill safe.

This information was obtained from http://www.thunderpowerrc.com