How to safely store a defective (bulging) lithium-ion battery

Question

I have a defective lithium-ion battery, one that is bulging quite severely, it's about 50% thicker in the middle than at the edge.

While the battery actually still works, I've replaced it as the old one didn't fit inside the device any longer, and the screen was about to come off.

However I can't safely dispose of it just yet, so the question is, will it be safe enough to just leave it unused on a table until I can get around to dispose of it safely, or is it safer to keep it cool/frozen?

Your best solution is to put the battery in a fireproof container. A battery like this is a potential fire hazard and should be isolated to prevent property damage in the event it does catch fire. RC folks use fireproof charging bags to protect against these types of situations. — bwDraco, Jul 23 '16 at 10:38
It's currently sitting in a ceramic cup, on a table with ceramic tiles as I'm aware of the potential risk of it to catch fire. I was just wondering if I could lower that risk by freezing it as well. It'll be a week or two before I can get around to get to a disposal site for it. — A.Grandt, Jul 23 '16 at 10:40
No, don't freeze it. Last thing you need is more crystalisation inside the battery. — Bob, Jul 23 '16 at 10:47
I removed the phone reference as phones are technically off topic for Super User. This condition can affect any pouch LiPo or prismatic Li-ion battery; most thin-and-light laptops use pouch LiPo batteries and can be affected by the same issue, so this question can certainly extend to computer hardware. — bwDraco, Jul 23 '16 at 12:17
[One of many videos of LiPo/LiIon batteries exploding](https://youtu.be/CVf4GW9jp-8?t=43s), via [EE.SE](http://electronics.stackexchange.com/q/230155). — Ben N, Jul 23 '16 at 16:24
When my wife brought home her mangled laptop and high-capacity battery after it was run over by a car (don't ask), I stored the battery in the BBQ grill outside until I could take it to be disposed the next week (in a metal bucket in the back of the pickup). Probably overkill, but LiIon batteries can have spectacular catastrophic failures. Not sure what I would have done if it had exploded in the grill, guess I would have come here asking if the grill was still safe to use for cooking food... :) — Johnny, Jul 23 '16 at 21:50
The table might not be enough - when the catastrophic failure occurs, the battery can spew flaming debris all around the room. Those things are really dangerous :/ — Luaan, Jul 25 '16 at 15:32

score 50 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 27 '18 at 07:33

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I had this happen, and I had to store it till I had time to drop by a designated ewaste centre which specifically accepted lithium ion batteries. (This is important. Throwing potentially inflammable materials in regular trash is bad. Only you can stop fires)

There's likely no need to panic if it's a week or two.

You want to store it for as short a time as possible. For most part, unless you stab it, an unused bloated battery ought to be reasonably safe. Practically you want to leave it somewhere cool and dry - so a fridge isn't the best place. The fridge trick is used for dying batteries in some cases, not dead ones.

I'd suggest taping over the connectors to prevent accidental shorting and just leaving it somewhere non inflammable.

Freezing doesn't sound bad until you realise you need to take it out there's a sudden change in temperature (potentially bad) condensation (see moisture).

It's also worth considering this had happened over a course of weeks or months before it got noticeable - there was some pressure on the screen and I'd assumed it was an air bubble the screen protector, and I'd noticed the bloating entirely by accident, so short of baking (advertantly or otherwise), burning or stabbing your battery, or taking a few months to do it, you probably don't need to massively baby the battery. Just don't charge it (and for once self discharge is fine). A battery not in use is slightly less likely to spontaneously catch fire.

There're a few suggestions I've seen online - like putting the battery in salty water (which sounds like a terrible idea, especially since lithium reacts violently with water, and is a potential source of bloating anyway) or trying to discharge the battery (energy flow could mean heat could mean fire). The MSDS backs this up, suggesting that the electrolyte reacts with water to form HF (which is nasty) and the anode with h2. And many other scary things.

So leave it alone, keep an eye on it, and avoid viking funerals and you should be fine.

edited Apr 27 '18 at 07:33

Pang

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answered Jul 23 '16 at 10:57

Journeyman Geek

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The battery was removed when it had about 4-5% charge left. I had to use the phone a few times while I was waiting for the replacement battery to arrive. The highest risk is during recharging afaik. – A.Grandt Jul 23 '16 at 11:02
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"and I had to store it till I had time to drop by a designated ewaste centre which specifically accepted lithium ion batteries." Depending on where you live, it might be worth noting that the store you purchased it (or the replacement) from may have an oligation to dispose of it for you, which may be more convenient than doing it yourself. Check your local laws for such a requirement... – Jules Jul 23 '16 at 12:56
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@Jules: Here in New York, *any store* that sells rechargeable batteries must accept rechargeable batteries for recycling. That includes most drugstores and electronic stores. Any major big-box store like Best Buy or Home Depot will recycle batteries. – bwDraco Jul 23 '16 at 13:01
Here, one of the phone companies has bins for it. I did double check. I didn't think of asking where I bought the battery. IMO disposing of it properly is the important bit. http://www.nea.gov.sg/energy-waste/3rs/e-waste-lamp-battery-recycling/e-waste-recycling these are my *local* options and well, its not pretty – Journeyman Geek Jul 23 '16 at 13:09
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Yeah, it is scary. HF in solution is pretty nasty too and I think I'd err on the side of caution. I am rather attached to my vital organs. – Journeyman Geek Jul 23 '16 at 23:53
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@A.Grant: On the subject of charge vs residual energy: there is much more chemical energy available for an explosive failure than the charging level would indicate. The level of charge is based on how much energy the battery can supply under normal discharge. The energy available in a free-oxygen runway reaction is much higher. – HardScale Jul 24 '16 at 17:37
The MSDS refers to 'traces' of HF, it's not a quantitative reaction product. The MSDS for LiPF6 itself shows it's pretty nasty stuff, and lists HF as a possible combustion product though: http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/MSDS/MSDS/DisplayMSDSPage.do?country=GB&language=en&productNumber=450227 – nekomatic Jul 25 '16 at 08:45
@Jules hat probably amounts to giving it to someone else to throw in a plastic box which will be taken away when it happens to fill up. So that may not be the most responsible thing to do. At a guess it may not even be legal as you know there's a hazard. Round here the municpal waste site takes all types of battery, and apart from lead-acid they go in a big solid metal box together.. – Chris H Jul 25 '16 at 09:27
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This might sound obvious, but make sure that the tape you're using to prevent the shorting isn't conductive. The kind of tape commonly used where I live *is* conductive, which would hurt. – Luaan Jul 25 '16 at 15:35
@ChrisH - I would *hope* that any store that deals with large quantities of electrical equipment has an understanding of the risks and has provided suitable equipment for storage. At the very least they *will* have a commercial-grade fire alarm system and appropriate extinguishers. And at least here in the EU, doing so is *definitely* legal because *there is a [law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electronic_Equipment_Directive) requiring them to be able to accept them*, and it sounds as though at least some states in the US have similar laws. – Jules Jul 25 '16 at 18:56
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Having seen the battery recycling facilities in big shops that sell things like mobile phones and laptops I'm more pessimistic than you. They may be legally obliged to accept batteries for recycling but whether they're actually competent to accept damaged ones is another matter. – Chris H Jul 25 '16 at 19:14

score 40 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 23 '16 at 17:45

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When I had a bulging Li Ion laptop battery, I stuck it in my barbecue grill outside until I had a chance to take it to hazardous waste disposal.

answered Jul 23 '16 at 17:45

barbecue

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Barbecue grills are used to fire... So long as there aren't any holes in the bottom, this is a good idea. – wizzwizz4 Jul 23 '16 at 18:43
Grills generally don't have holes in the bottom, because it would allow coals and sparks to fall through, creating a fire hazard. – barbecue Jul 23 '16 at 18:51
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AFAIK almost every grill has holes in the bottom, except maybe those big horizontal barrel smoker things. Charcoal grills have holes and vents top and bottom to control the amount of air venting through and control the heat, but you can at least close these. Many propane grills have holes in the bottom for the grease can. Also note, a common propane grill will have a can of flammable grease attached to the bottom of the grill. Also remember the big tank of propane. Still, this isn't a horrible idea because the battery in the grill won't combust in your house or garage. – nexus_2006 Jul 23 '16 at 20:41
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To clarify, I've never seen a charcoal grill with holes under the charcoal, unless the grill has a separate tray for the charcoal to sit in. I've seen plenty of vents, but they're not holes under the coals. – barbecue Jul 23 '16 at 21:11
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Just don't accidentally turn on the BBQ! – TLW Jul 24 '16 at 00:34
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I'd also avoid leaving it in the sun in a black metal box - you could probably exceed the rated temperature of even an undamaged battery that way. – Chris H Jul 25 '16 at 09:25
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Damn. I'm really disappointed that your profile isn't just full of barbecue-related answers. – RJFalconer Jul 25 '16 at 16:10
The holes are not going to make a difference (FWIW, though, I think it's a poor charcoal grill that doesn't have both vent holes and holes for ash to fall down at the bottom). Nor will the tank of propane on a gas grill. While battery explosion videos are cool, the sustained heat of a battery fire is going to be a lot less than the typical grilling fire. The grill is going to contain it. – dan1111 Jul 27 '16 at 14:30

bwDraco · Answer 3 · 2016-07-23T14:46:01.533

This is a fire hazard! You need to isolate the battery to reduce the risk of property damage.

^{RC LiPo battery fire (source)}

The battery is internally pressurized with oxygen due to a cell failure. All Li-ion batteries can generate a small amount of free oxygen internally during normal operation, so most batteries are encased in a rigid shell to prevent expansion. However, in the event of failure, a cell can generate enough oxygen to expand dramatically. (You probably remember from chemistry class that oxygen is one part of the fire triangle, so guess what happens if the cell vents and there's a spark or open flame nearby...)
Puffing occurs when the battery has suffered metallic lithium plating due to abuse or failure, causing the oxygen to not recombine as intended in the cell chemistry. The metallic lithium reacts with the oxygen to form lithium oxide, but lithium oxide has less oxygen than the normal lithium ion chemistry, causing free oxygen to accumulate inside the battery. This extra oxygen is what causes the battery to expand. Needless to say, this can be a serious fire hazard. More information can be found in this Traxxas forum thread and in this blog post by Matthew Barnson.
While this condition is most often encountered by RC enthusiasts who push LiPo batteries to their limits, any pouch LiPo (or even prismatic Li-ion) battery, including the kind used in mobile devices, can suffer this type of failure. If the cell is allowed to vent, a fire could result.
The best thing to do is to isolate the battery in a fireproof container. RC enthusiasts often use dedicated fireproof charging bags to prevent fires from causing property damage in the event of battery failure. If you don't have such a container, leaving the battery outside in a metal barrel or similar can reduce the risk of property damage in the event the battery does ignite.
While freezing the battery will reduce the expansion (as most gases expand and shrink almost linearly with temperature), it will not reduce the actual amount of free oxygen inside, nor will it fix the underlying problem of metallic lithium plating. In fact, since recharging a Li-ion battery below freezing can cause plating (see Battery University article), storing the battery in very low temperatures may not be a good idea.

"leaving the battery outside" Exposed to the elements? Wouldn't that increase the risk of failure? Or do you mean it needs to be covered? That still wouldn't protect against heat or cold, though. — jpmc26, Jul 26 '16 at 01:50
This is not an answer to the question. OP is already fully aware of the fire hazard. — Agent_L, Jul 26 '16 at 12:40
@Agent_L: I'm rather confused here. Doesn't this address the OP's question on how to safely store the battery? — bwDraco, Jul 26 '16 at 13:00
Also, I'm writing for more than just the OP, but for anyone who runs into this issue. — bwDraco, Jul 26 '16 at 13:06
@Agent_L The OP does not mention the words "fire" or "hazard" in his question. — DavidPostill, Jul 26 '16 at 13:18
@bwDraco The only parts of your answer that actually address the question "how to store" is "isolate battery in a fireproof container" and "don't store in a fridge" (the second in quite convoluted way). It's good to mention the hazards but most of your answer is about how and why it can fail catastrophically while the actual solution is merely a side-note. — Agent_L, Jul 26 '16 at 13:24
@Agent_L the information about the seriousness of the fire hazard is clearly answering the question, which asks in part "will it be safe enough to just leave it unused on a table..." — dan1111, Jul 27 '16 at 14:17

score 13 · Answer 4 · edited Jul 25 '16 at 08:18

I would contact the local fire department (by their local non-emergency number) to see if they have arrangements for dealing with these. Especially if you're away from home. You don't want to leave it on a table in a hotel room. The fire department would definitely want to help you dispose of it safely rather than deal with the resulting fires.

Please don't use emergency phone numbers for non-emergencies like this. Emergency phone operators wouldn't appreciate you taking up a line while somebody in real danger out there could be waiting in line for their call to be taken.
There are non-emergency numbers for fire and police departments that you can google.

I agree totally with the edit. I should have thought about specifying the non-emergency number, but I hadn't thought it was necessary. I guess it just shows that if you think something goes without saying, it should be said anyway. — Bradley Ross, Jul 26 '16 at 22:43

score 9 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 25 '16 at 15:59

I've had quadcopter batteries do this after mechanical damage. You already know to isolate the battery in a fire-proof container. The most readily-available fireproof container that I've found in the common household is a thick pot with a lid.

Do not put the battery in the freezer. Freezing may cause already-damaged metal components to contract and could cause a short, leading to fire. Freezing is outside the engineered temperature range even for an undamaged battery, leave the battery at ambient temperature. If you can, store the pot with the battery outside yet protected from pets, animals, and children. Don't leave it near wooden or plastic furniture or decks.

Note that a high-capacity Li-ion battery may cut through even a metal pot, so be careful.

I would add to this that the pot should _not_ be non-stick. It's hard to set PTFE on fire, but a battery explosion might well do it, and if you _do_ set it on fire, the smoke is toxic. — zwol, Jul 25 '16 at 23:55

score 6 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 23 '16 at 12:04

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I'm trying to think how I'd deal with this, in a normal 'what do I have around the house that I can use' manner.

I'd do a pile of sand in the garden, and build a wall around it a few feet deep (literally a pile of sand with a hole in the center). I'd pop a old paint can / wheelbarrow/something else that can contain the battery and if it decided to go pop allow me to move it after without some crazy clean up operation.

I guess I'd chuck a plastic sheet loosely over the top to stop it being rained on, but it'd be in no way 'sealed' as to not build up pressure if it decides to go bang.

answered Jul 23 '16 at 12:04

djsmiley2kStaysInside

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Plastic can be flammable. Probably not the best choice to cover it with. – jpmc26 Jul 26 '16 at 01:53
@jpmc26: If the battery gets hot enough to ignite the plastic sheet, I would think the flammability of the plastic would be the least of one's concerns. – supercat Jul 26 '16 at 23:31
@supercat I thought the whole point of making a sand fort and putting the battery in a metal container was to handle the case where it has already ignited? I dunno if any of that would work, but it seems introducing the potentially flammable plastic sheet largely defeats the point. ;) – jpmc26 Jul 26 '16 at 23:40
A big sand fort seems like overkill. Just put it in a paint can or other container, and not right next to anything flammable. I agree that a plastic sheet could actually allow the fire to spread outside the can, which is exactly what you don't want. – dan1111 Jul 27 '16 at 14:26

How to safely store a defective (bulging) lithium-ion battery

6 Answers6

This is a fire hazard! You need to isolate the battery to reduce the risk of property damage.

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