The World’s Most Dangerous Battery

Josh G

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Lithium Polymer (abbreviated Li-poly or “LiPo”). An upgraded Lithium-Ion battery which makes our lives more satisfying and less complicated. We use these batteries everyday in our PDA’s such as the new Apple iPhone, iPod, Sony PSP, etc; also in a few laptops like the Lenovo’s ThinkPad (Ultra bay Batteries). This battery is even found in most Nokia mobile phones. When comparing to a Lithium-Ion Battery, Li-poly has a greater life cycle degradation rate. Manufacturers have been declaring upwards of 500 charge-discharge cycles before the capacity drops to 80%. The thin film rechargeable lithium battery has been shown to provide more than 10,000 discharge cycles!

As technology grows at speeds beyond our imagination, so does the dangers of chemistries used for such batteries. Even though, there is no such thing as a completely safe battery, there are always ways to protect ourselves against such threats. Listed below are several ways to keep yourself and loved ones safe from hazardous chemicals and decreasing the level of danger in your household:

1. Only use a charger designed for the specific type of Lithium Polymer Battery.

2. Never Charge Lithium Polymer Batteries unattended.

3. Do not overcharge lithium polymer batteries. (Please refer to your manual for overcharge limits).

4. Never charge a lithium polymer battery at a faster rate than recommended.

5. If the battery becomes hot to touch, switch off immediately.

6. Always store lithium polymer batteries in a safe place, like a metal box.

7. Only charge the batteries on a non-flammable non-conducting surface, such as bare cement floor.

8. Do not charge the battery inside a model plane, car, furniture, wood/floor/carpet, or anywhere near flammable material.

Failing to take caution in such safe guards can lead to serious harm and/or possibly death. You might be asking yourself, “How can a simple battery do so much harm?” The answer is simple. Mishandling of such products can lead to explosions, fire, smoke, and risk of poisoning. There may be a slight chance the battery pack could combust due to unmatched cells in capacity or voltage, damaged cells, charger failure, charger settings errors or many other factors. So take control and attention to the handling of these batteries. You don’t want your new iPhone battery to look like this:

Thank you for your close attention. Remember to stay safe and read your manuals. Buy a battery, Use a battery, and Love a battery. Have a good one!

Josh Gomez

# comments about: "The World’s Most Dangerous Battery"

1. 10/2/2007 7:10:49 PM | Posted by: SemperFiDevilDog

This is the reason we can't get our troops thier lithium! Everyone is so worried thier doggone battery will explode in mid-air. Using common sense might keep peoples batteries from going haywire and blowing up. After all the majority of batteries that cause any damage was due to some big company- wont name any names- using cheap products in thier batteries trying to save and make a buck. If I'm wrong, someone please tell me. Maybe if batteries were made in the US we could eliminate these issues and provide more jobs to hard working americans. Oooh-Rah!!

The World’s Most Dangerous Battery

# comments about: "The World’s Most Dangerous Battery"

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