disposing of lipos?

[onegreenray]

what is your opinion on how to dispose of a damaged lipo that is still holding a charge. don't want to throw out with a charge and start a fire in the garbage truck.

I've read the salt water in a bucket and the running the battery down to o volts with a light bulb or motor. how do you guys do it? i am in a town home community so blowing then up isn't an option.

[DyrtyByrd]

try the salt water in the bucket it nuetralizes the lipo chemicles, i also cut the leads off one by one so it doesnt short out, i would use a plastic bucket

[Scott T]

Recent advice from Thunder Power -

"Well if it's out of warranty with damage or something just soak it in salt water for about a week it makes the pack landfill safe."

[sailr]

Yep. Salt Water. I once threw away a lipo in the trash and the trash truck DID catch on fire! It went off when they compacted the trash. Thank goodness it was about a block away when it went off!

[Fluid]

try the salt water in the bucket it nuetralizes the lipo chemicles

Actually the salt water never sees the LiPo chemicals unless the cells are punctured (do not do that!). What it does is short" out the positive and negative leads completely discharging the pack slowly and safely. After a few days wrap in paper and place in trash.


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[pescador]

Discharge it, twist the leads together and toss it.

[PDR447]

there's nothing that is worth recycling in them? just dump em in the landfill?

[Fluid]

"There is currently little economic need to recycle lithium ion batteries. Most batteries contain small amounts of lithium carbonate as a percentage of weight and the material is relatively inexpensive compared to most other metals, such as nickel and cobalt. As lithium battery packs become larger—and the number of hybrids and electric cars that use lithium batters expands—recycling will become more important and more profitable. Mainstream vehicles will have to begin using lithium ion batteries and run those batteries for at least several years before recycling becomes an issue.

Bolivia has the world’s largest supply of lithium—about 5.4 million tons in the Uyuni Desert alone. Chile has about 3 million tons and the United States owns about 750,000 tons. Despite media reports to the contrary, current demand for lithium is not likely to cause shortages."http://www.hybridcars.com/environmen...ies-26047.html



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[dana]

saltwater

[onegreenray]

thanks guys saltwater it is. i have a salt water tank i just did a water change on and saved some of the water. will give it a try.

[dana]

heh me too. my specific gravity is at about 1.024, and it took about 3 weeks to kill a pack that was already drained. i suggest adding much more salt to get quicker results

[onegreenray]

thanks dana. got any pics of the tank?

[onegreenray]

oh one more question am i supposed to put the leads under the water?

[pescador]

Saltwater aquarium owners club
This is my 220 when I first set it up, now it's more about cool fish.

[LiPo Power]

** DISPOSAL OF LIPO BATTERIES **
Unlike NiCd batteries, lithium-polymer batteries are environmentally friendly.
For safety reasons, it’s best that LiPo cells be fully discharged before disposal (however,
if physically damaged it is NOT recommended to discharge LiPo cells before disposal -
see below for details). The batteries must also be cool before proceeding with disposal
instructions. To dispose of LiPo cells and packs:
1. If any LiPo cell in the pack has been physically damaged, resulting
in a swollen cell or a split or tear in a cell’s foil covering, do NOT discharge the battery.
Jump to step 5.
2. Place the LiPo battery in a fireproof container or bucket of sand.
3. Connect the battery to a LiPo discharger. Set the discharge cutoff
voltage to the
lowest possible value. Set the discharge current to a C/10 value, with “C” being the
capacity rating of the pack. For example, the “1C” rating for a 1200mAh battery is 1.2A,
and that battery’s C/10 current value is (1.2A / 10) can be used,
such as a power resistor or set of light bulbs as long as the discharge current doesn’t
exceed the C/10 value and cause an overheating condition.
For LiPo packs rated at 7.4V and 11.1V , connect a 150 ohm resistor with a power rating
of 2 watts (commonly found at Radio Shack)to the pack’s positive and negative terminals
to safely discharge connecting it to an ESC/ motor system and allowing the motor to run
indefinitely until no power remains to further cause the system to function.
4. Discharge the battery until its voltage reaches 1.0V per cell or
lower. For resistive load type discharges, discharge the battery for up to 24 hours.
5. Submerse the battery into bucket or tub of salt water. This container should have a lid,
but it should not need to be air-tight. Prepare a plastic container (do not use metal) of cold
water. And mix in 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water. Drop the battery into the salt water.
Allow the battery to remain in the tub of salt water for at least 2 weeks.
6. Remove the LiPo battery from the salt water, wrap it in newspaper or paper towels and
place it in the normal trash. They are landfill safe.