Laptops For Less Blog

How Lithium-ion Batteries Work [Part III]

Due to the power of lithium ion batteries, they can be rather expensive. Since they are expensive, it only makes sense to ensure that the battery lasts as long as possible. The first tip to lengthen the life of your battery is the discharge cycle. Lithium ion batteries prefer a partial discharge compared to a deep discharge. A deep discharge is similar to a car battery; it requires a large amount of the battery to be used before recharging. It’s best to avoid taking the charge to zero for lithium ion batteries. These batteries do not require a memory, so a partial discharge will not harm them.

Another smart tip to know is that lithium ion batteries age, even when not in use. The on board computer uses a part of the charge, so do not be shy about using the battery. Always make sure to check the manufacturing date. A lithium
ion battery sitting on a shelf for a year will not last as long as a battery being frequently used. To make the batteries last longer make sure to avoid excessive heat. Heat degrades these batteries more than any other factor. Make sure you do not leave your laptop in a hot car for several hours, or place it on carpet [or other fabrics].

In some extremely rare cases, lithium ion batteries have been known to explode. This is obviously detrimental to you and your property! So what causes a battery to explode? The answer actually lies within the electrolyte. If the internal temperature in the battery gets high enough, the electrolyte will ignite and cause a fire. This is why it’s extremely important to make sure as little heat as possible gets to the battery. Most fires though are caused by a short within the battery. If something internal occurs to cause a short in the battery, such as the separator failing or getting punctured, the two electrodes will touch.

The electrodes touching will cause the batteries to heat up very quickly. This is similar to a standard 9-volt battery if a coin connects the two points. A 9-volt battery will get very hot, but a lithium ion battery can cause fires! If the battery heats up past a point a failsafe vent built into the battery will vent the organic solvent. The heat or a spark added to this solvent can cause a violent fire. If this occurs in one cell the entire battery pack will go up in flames. Of course this is extremely rare, but is still worth keeping in mind.

Want to see how a lithium ion battery can explode? Check out the video below of a notebook battery which was artificially forced into an unstable state:

Lithium-ion batteries have made a world of difference to the world of portable electronics. Most people use these batteries every day in their laptops, their iPods, and their cell phones. Now you know how these small batteries operate. With this knowledge you can add longevity to your battery, make sure it does not explode it, and know what is going on inside it. Just make sure to keep your battery away from heat and never attempt to take it apart.

LaptopsForLess.com has a huge selection of batteries in stock, at very reasonable prices [often a fraction of the cost of manufacturers’ own brand replacements]. We stock; Laptop Batteries, Power Tool Batteries, PDA Batteries, Camera/Camcorder Batteries, Cell Phone Batteries and much more. If an electronic device contains a battery, we’ll stock that battery!