How to dispose of lipo batteries

When disposing of a LiPo battery, the aim is to discharge it completely so that no charge remains (0 volts) so that the fire does not burn when it is stabbed. Bring the discharged battery to the local battery center of recycling.

How to dispose of lipo batteries properly?

The LiPo charger may eventually discharge the battery. If you do, do not forget to discharge it on a small current. At 1/10 centigrade, to pack 50mA 2000mAh, discharge at 0.2A (2000/10 = 200mA). However, most of the chargers for lipo have a switching 3V; they will not discharge the battery as soon as it reaches the 3V per cell.

You can also consider other methods. The light bulb is a common option for the discharge of LiPo batteries because it is fast and cheap. Try to avoid the type of LED bulbs because they have a forward voltage meaning that when the voltage drops below a certain level, it just stops charging and leaves a small amount of charge. In addition, LEDs are more energy efficient, which means that their discharge will take longer. It is better to utilize halogen bulbs. You can also use a discharge resistor instead of a lamp, such as a ceramic resistance heater.  Physical destruction is the least recommended method because it is serious.

Some people use weapons to dispose the battery or use a hammer to break and explode it. Maybe it's the fastest way, but the fire is dangerous and the smoke is not good for breathing. You can use a halogen bulb to completely discharge the packaging, then disconnect the connectors and roll up the discharge cables to ensure that there is no more energy in the packaging (+ and -). In this way, it usually takes less than an hour, which is an effective method.

Consult a professional if you have doubts. Stay away from humans and animals when doing anything of the above. Lithium polymer batteries are eco- friendly. For safety reasons, it is best to fully discharge the LiPo cells before disposing of them.  To get rid of LiPo cells and packaging, here are some tips for you

· Discharge the battery to the point its voltage reaches 1.0 volts per cell or less. To discharge the resistive discharge type, discharge the battery for a maximum of 24 hours.

· If LiPo cells in the package are physically damaged, resulting in a swollen, cracked or torn cell in the cell cap, don’t discharge the battery.

· Place the battery in a fire safe container or in a sandbox.

· Remove the LiPo battery from the brine, wrap it in paper or paper towels and place it in the regular trash. It is safe for landfills.

How to charge lipo batteries properly?

When charging a lipo battery, Keep it away from the flammable materials. It can be disposed into a metal box that can hold flames in case of fire. Some people also place a bag of sand on top of charging box, so that if the battery catches fire, the fire will burn a hole in the bag and the sand will fall on the flames and extinguish them. As long as the batteries are not damaged physically as well as the cells are balanced, the charge is secure. But taking precautions is always a good idea.

The most important precaution is not to charge the batteries unattended. If something should happen, you should be able to react quickly. The first thing to do is to unplug the power supply from the charger and then dispose of the batteries outdoors to burn or extinguish them safely. Before charging, check each cell of the battery to make sure it is balanced with the rest of the packaging.

You also want to inspect the battery for damage. If there is one, charge very slowly and be very careful. Charging lipo is safe enough as long as you follow the instructions, use your common sense and do not ask for more batteries than you are able to do. Good lipos can last for hundreds of cycles before going bad, so you have to fly a lot!

How to store lipo batteries properly?

The electrical aspect of the lipos storage was quite simple. The physical storage of lipos is a bit more complicated. Lipo batteries contain very reactive chemicals and needs to be handled very carefully. You want to treat them with the greatest care possible. You can insulate the cables. This can be as simple as placing a rubber cap or tape over all cables, including balancing cables and main power cables. At least you should have a storage bag for lipo.  These storage bags are made of fire safe material.

In case of fire, the bags do not completely flood the flames, but may give you a little more time to react.

Here are some additional guidelines. Make sure to keep these in mind

· Keep lipos in places as noncombustible as possible. Good places are in the concrete of your garage or in a metal / glass box away from the wood or carpet.

· Store in the temperature-controlled places.

· Some people like to store their lipos in ammunition boxes.

· You can also store the lipos in a container with a sandbag on the top. If something happened, the flames would tear a hole in the bag; the sand would fall on the battery and extinguish the flames.

Most of these advices actually apply to the lipos charging, but the reason of listing the, here is to be very careful, because the moments where you will store your lipos will also be times when you will not be at available around them for long periods of time.

Dongguan Large Electronics Co., Ltd (Large Power for short) has 17 years' expertise in customizing the pack of lithium ion battery pack and always adheres to the policy of maximum   safety and reliability. You can use Large Power products to power up and you will not be disappointed.