Lithium Ion Battery First Charge

Introduction

Charging and discharging lithium ion is all about the energies flowing in and out of the battery which is basically ion movement between anode and cathode. Lithium Ion batteries are designed to offer a great level of performance. And for you to gain the best from them, they must be charged properly. If the battery is not charged in the proper manner, then its operation could get impaired, and to some extent, the battery could get destroyed. Proper first-time charge of your lithium-ion battery enables the best performance and longest operational life to be obtained.

Why the First Time Charge is Important for Lithium Ion Battery First Charge?

Today, there are so many devices that use Lithium ion batteries, and probably you have heard that the first time charge is important for the battery. Yes, the first time charge is important for your lithium-ion battery because of one major reason. And that is manufacturers of various devices that use lithium-ion batteries usually charge them up to about 50% and then they pack them for shipping. The battery will lose some charge while sitting around in the package, or being shipped. Therefore, when you get your device, the battery will have less than 50% charge, and sometimes it could go to as low as 10% or 20%.

When you buy your device, you want to spend time testing it out, but with a low charge you might get discouraged. That’s why the first time charge is important for Lithium-ion battery. When you get your device and the battery voltage is too low, then the device will not operate. So you should definitely charge the battery. This will give you a better chance to get to operate your device and know it better.

When your device is very new, you should not discharge it until it’s too low (10% or less). The first time charge ensures that the lithium-ion performs perfectly.

What is The Recommended Charging Time for the First Time of Lithium Ion Battery?

As you have discovered the first time charge is important lithium ion battery because of the charge that they lose during the period they are in the package or being shipped. There is no exact charging time for the first time of lithium ion battery, however, the battery should be completely charged when you use it for the first time.

You should not that lithium ion batteries prefer partial discharge to full discharge. Therefore, the first time charge actually favours your battery and ensures it performs optimally. Deep discharge can damage your battery thus affect its performance. Moreover, for safety reasons, if your battery was deeply discharged when you bought your device, you should not recharge it fully.

Battery Life and First Time Charging on Lithium Ion Battery

In today’s gadget world, battery life is precious. If your battery life is not optimal, then you will be inconvenienced in so many ways and you will keep looking for an outlet, which is very hard to find sometimes. Battery life and first time charging o Lithium ion battery may be related in some way.

First time charging can have an influence on your battery life. First time charging allows a battery which had lost charge in the package to operate perfectly. Most manufacturers specify the life of Lithium ion batteries as being 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles.

The discharge/charge cycling, elevated temperature and ageing can decrease the performance of the battery over time. Heavy use and unfavourable temperature conditions greatly reduce the battery life. So first time charging followed by other subsequent cycles should be done within proper temperatures which are indicated by the manufacturer. The depth of discharge also determines the battery life of lithium ion batteries. The smaller the discharge, the longer a battery will last. You should avoid full discharges and recharge the battery more often between uses.

Partial discharge is better. In fact, lithium ion batteries come when they are partially discharged, and a proper first time charging ensures the battery goes back to its perfect state. A lithium ion battery does not have memory and does not really need periodic full discharge cycles to prolong life.

lithium battery First Charge Method and Wrong Practices

The introduction of Lithium technology in the battery world created a huge impact that made lithium-ion batteries very popular. These batteries offer a lot of great features which make them outperform and outlast their alkaline and nickel-based counterparts. However, these batteries require proper first maintenance practices which all start from the first time charge.

Every lithium ion battery is different from the other and they have their unique needs based on their size and features. However, there are certain common practices that are necessary for optimal performance of the Lithium-ion batteries.

· Use the original charger – considering the characteristics of lithium ion batteries, you should use the ordinal charger of the device and avoid the use of emulation chargers. An original charger should be used right from first time charging. An original charger comes equipped with the mechanisms to prevent danger and damage to the battery. Sometimes, when you use other chargers, you are likely to stress the battery with high current or even low current which can stress the battery and lead to high temperature. Very high temperatures can cause huge damage to your battery and it will not function optimally.

· Charge temperature – it is necessary to monitor the charge temperature of a lithium ion battery. Basically, the temperature should not be too low nor too high. If the temperature 9is greater than 45?C, the battery may get damaged permanently. Most of the times, people tend to charge their devices such as smartphones when they are using them. This causes the phone to overheat raising the charging temperature which is harmful to your lithium ion battery.

· Avoid Overcharging - a Li-ion battery does not need to be fully charged. It is actually not desirable to do so. When you fully charge or overcharge, it means that there is a high voltage which actually stresses the battery. The stress raises the charging temperature which can reduce the battery life. Avoiding overcharging helps eliminate the saturation charge altogether and improves battery life.

· Avoid completely discharging – allowing a lithium-ion battery to completely discharge is a bad idea. If the battery is discharged below 2.5 volts per cell, a built-in safety circuit opens and the battery appears to be dead. Recharging the battery with the original charger would not be sufficient enough. Also, for safety reasons, a completely discharged lithium-ion battery should not be deeply recharged if they have been stored in that condition for a long time. Higher discharge rates also can shorten the battery life of a Li-ion battery.

· Charge the battery when the device is off – charging a lithium ion battery when the device is off is actually good practice for lithium ion first-time charge and for subsequent charging. This is because it allows the battery to efficiently receive the charge and expedite the entire charging process. The battery will be less likely to suffer from heat during the process and will help to boost the battery life.

Safety

If these lithium ion battery charging practises are not followed, you may risk damaging your battery to the point where it becomes no longer usable. Using the wrong chargers, overcharging and exposing your battery to high temperatures may put your own safety and that of others to risk. The wrong charger, overheating or overcharging can lead to an inherent risk of combustion and fire.

For your safety and that of others, you should observe any signs of physical damage to the battery. You should not use a physically damaged battery or leaking. Do not charge if you detect smoking, swelling or overheating.

Conclusion

Lithium ion battery first charge is important for your battery because it comes having lost some charge for the duration it has been sitting in the package or being shipped. Also, keeping the best lithium battery charging practices in mind right from the first time charge is the proper way to optimize the operation of your battery and battery life as well. These practices will help you extend the service of your battery for several years, thus you will gain the most service out if it. Your lithium ion battery will be in excellent condition to deliver the best performance you need.