I have a battery that I stopped using because it was swollen. It's been sitting for months, and I was about to send it off for recycling when I noticed that it is no longer swollen. It is still unsafe? Once swollen, forever bad?
Swollen Battery Unsafe Forever?
- Thread starter JimWest
- Start date
I personally wouldn't use it. My imagination is telling me something along the lines of a power faliure, or an explosion.
I have to agree. It’s past it’s use by date. Get rid of it.
Regards
Gas generation in lithium batteries is a normal thing. Even if you don’t abuse your batteries, the normal everyday use of them will generate gas through a process called electrolyte decomposition. The electrolyte decomposition occurs even faster if you over-discharge or overheat a battery.
Electrolyte decomposition is what happens when the electrolyte chemically breaks down. So in a lipo battery, as the electrolyte breaks down you end up with lithium and oxygen. This forms lithium oxide on the anode and cathode (depending whether you are charging or discharging) & increasing the internal resistance.
But what you also end up with is excess oxygen that doesn’t adhere to the anode or cathode. This excess oxygen is part of what causes a battery to swell.
So ...
If your batteries was swollen before but aren't anymore it's mainly due to 2 reasons ... either the oxygen have found it's way out of the sealed cell or the previously excess oxygen have reacted to the lithium inside over time & created even more lithium oxide. Both these possible reasons aren't any good for your batteries, if the cell seal is broken the content are in contact with air which greatly increase the risk for a fire ... if instead more lithium oxide have been created the internal resistance have increased which means that a lot of heat will be generated during use, further breaking down the electrolyte with more excess oxygen as a result & you will quickly find that your batteries are swollen again.
Electrolyte decomposition is what happens when the electrolyte chemically breaks down. So in a lipo battery, as the electrolyte breaks down you end up with lithium and oxygen. This forms lithium oxide on the anode and cathode (depending whether you are charging or discharging) & increasing the internal resistance.
But what you also end up with is excess oxygen that doesn’t adhere to the anode or cathode. This excess oxygen is part of what causes a battery to swell.
So ...
If your batteries was swollen before but aren't anymore it's mainly due to 2 reasons ... either the oxygen have found it's way out of the sealed cell or the previously excess oxygen have reacted to the lithium inside over time & created even more lithium oxide. Both these possible reasons aren't any good for your batteries, if the cell seal is broken the content are in contact with air which greatly increase the risk for a fire ... if instead more lithium oxide have been created the internal resistance have increased which means that a lot of heat will be generated during use, further breaking down the electrolyte with more excess oxygen as a result & you will quickly find that your batteries are swollen again.
Probably not oxygen causing the swelling (during the process the oxygen combines to create other gases, CO2, CO, etc)... but leak or reabsorption are correct reasons for the return to normal size.
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You aren't entirely correct there ... all 3 gases are actually generated during the electrolyte decomposition, the majority is oxygen but due to the nature of the electrolyte in LiPo's they also tend to produce carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide... as a result of the excess oxygen.
In the end all 3 will contribute to the swelling but the existence of excess oxygen is a prerequisite in order to get carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
So yeah ... it's oxygen that makes the LiPo's swell.
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Probably best not to use it for flights, but you could carefully use it (following best battery care) for ground use.
Updates, settings adjustments / checks before flight etc.
If using it under such circumstances, you should do what you normally do with flight batteries, and don’t just use it not fully charged or in discharge mode.
Monitor it.
If swelling subsides / doesn’t return when using or charging, you could try a few special short flights in a suitable safe location to see how it goes.
Never had a swollen battery myself, so not sure about that.
** Second thoughts, as it’s an M2, don’t risk flight with it.
A big investment, and M2’s have a habit of popping batteries when they swell.
A new replacement is going to give you peace of mind.
edit typo
Updates, settings adjustments / checks before flight etc.
If using it under such circumstances, you should do what you normally do with flight batteries, and don’t just use it not fully charged or in discharge mode.
Monitor it.
If swelling subsides / doesn’t return when using or charging, you could try a few special short flights in a suitable safe location to see how it goes.
Never had a swollen battery myself, so not sure about that.
** Second thoughts, as it’s an M2, don’t risk flight with it.
A big investment, and M2’s have a habit of popping batteries when they swell.
A new replacement is going to give you peace of mind.
edit typo
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John Locke
Well-Known Member
I've noticed my M2 battery swell when launched at high elevations, around 10,000' MSL launch sites. Swelling occurred during flights to 11,000' MSL while climbing mountains below 400' AGL. When I returned home where the elevation is 500' MSL, the swell went away. I marked the battery to keep tabs on it over time. However, months later it started swelling again at low MSL elevation flights, swelling to an unacceptable level. I replaced it with a new one for safety sake. So it appears elevation may have an influence on this anomaly, like a bag of sealed potato chips taken to high elevations.
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Thank you. This is what I was looking for. The battery is going into the recycling bin.
cgmaxed
Well-Known Member
With all that said, what is the safest way to recycle LiPo batteries? Will your typical curbside municipal recyclers be able to do anything with them, or must you take them to a specialty recycler?
I'd like to know too. I have a bunch of old Lipo's that needs recycling. What is the safest way to do that?
From a safety perspective you should make sure they are as close to 0 volts as possible so they aren't a fire hazard anymore.
You can either do this by yourself...
by flying them as low in % as possible then hook them up to a DIY resistor device or put them in salt water over a 2 week period to drain the last volts (but water is not a guarantee unfortunately, this as the terminals may corrode & prevent the short circuit needed).
... or leave them to a recycling service that can handle the discharge for you.
The last thing you should do is to through them in the ordinary garbage still charged ... if they later will be punctured during the garbage handling the the risk for them to catch fire is very large.
From the US Environmental Protection Agency's website:
www.epa.gov
Used Lithium-Ion Batteries | US EPA
How do I dispose of my battery or my lithium-ion battery? If lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries are not properly managed at the end of their useful life, they can cause harm to human health or the environment.
www.epa.gov
I am involved a little in RC cars which often use LIPO batteries which essentially what these drones use too. A swollen LIPO battery is a very dangerous thing to look out for when playing with RCs cars. My advice would be to dispose of it carefully and if you can keep it in a firesafe LIPO battery bag. Do not use it again!!
Have a look on YouTube to see what can happen if these batteries get damaged.
I took my two swollen batteries to Lowe's, which has a recycling service. Home Depot does as well.
Homedeopot has battery recycling bins for various batteries. I have dropped mine off there.
Swollen = No use.
The much increased risk of failure during flight and fire during charging just isn't worth it.
The much increased risk of failure during flight and fire during charging just isn't worth it.
Throw it in a bucket of salt water for a week. Then it goes safely in the trash.
Never allow doubt to creep in your best practices in flying. Always remove it when you see it.
Once a puff, always a danger.
Never allow doubt to creep in your best practices in flying. Always remove it when you see it.
Once a puff, always a danger.
Montana_Flyer
Well-Known Member
Swollen batteries on the Mavic also are a prime reason for aircraft falling out of the sky. The way that the Mavic 2 batteries mount allow for a slightly swollen battery to be mounted (tightly mind you), but the heating during flight swells them a bit more, and POP, the battery dislodges and the bird falls.
Good thing the Mini and M3 have redesigned the battery to be inserted from the rear, as it keeps one from inserting a swollen battery, and won't pop off during flight.
Good thing the Mini and M3 have redesigned the battery to be inserted from the rear, as it keeps one from inserting a swollen battery, and won't pop off during flight.
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