Phone battery balloned without any use!

I have a 13 year old phone (Sony Ericsson T100) and it was used for the first 3 years (until 2005 IIRC) before being retired in a perfect working condition for a new phone. So I charged it fully, shut it off and threw it on a drawer as a spare phone in case the new one failed. Finally the phone wasn't used nor touched during those 7-8 years as the new one never failed.

Recently, by chance, I saw it. The phone casing was damaged and the battery was detached hugely ballooned but luckily it didn't exploded yet

Before throwing it away I measured the voltage directly from the cell (not the protection circuit) and it was totally depleted (0.00V). As I said, the phone was turned off and fully charged.

I have a older phone too and it's fine, but it used a Ni-MH battery.

I am sure, the battery would've exploded and caused a fire or something nasty if I didn't saw it. Why did the battery ended in this condition? Was it defective or something? (but it worked fine during its use)

PD: The battery cell was a Li-Ion in a hard metal enclosure, not a LiPo pouch cell.

Many thanks

Even when off, the phone draws power from the battery. Over the course of several years you have effectively slowly shorted the battery. The battery has then broken down and started to decompose.

If you had left the battery out of the phone for storage then even if the battery itself had puffed up (which would have been far less likely as it would not have been taken down to 0V) the phone would not have been damaged.

Lesson - always remove the battery from an electronic device in storage.

subwoofer said:

Even when off, the phone draws power from the battery. Over the course of several years you have effectively slowly shorted the battery. The battery has then broken down and started to decompose.

If you had left the battery out of the phone for storage then even if the battery itself had puffed up (which would have been far less likely as it would not have been taken down to 0V) the phone would not have been damaged.

Lesson - always remove the battery from an electronic device in storage.

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Yeah since then I put any batteries to a fireproof container.

But, even if the phone would drained it in 8 years (I think this would be unlikely but well), shouldn't the battery's protection cut it off? (I read that Li-ion batteries have virtually no self discharge and the protection circuit is a very very low drain over the years).

Also do drained Li-ion batteries swell? I have read they swell only if overcharged and only on soft Lipo cells not regular li-ions.

Maybe the cell was defective from the beginning.

Many thanks.

I've had this happen as well, on a blackberry storm. Phone was not damaged, but I wasn't about to charge it that way!
Lithium polymer is a lithium ion battery as well, the difference being the electrolyte used.

RCM said:

I've had this happen as well, on a blackberry storm. Phone was not damaged, but I wasn't about to charge it that way!
Lithium polymer is a lithium ion battery as well, the difference being the electrolyte used.

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Many Thanks I will assume then that the battery was defective and not a usual behaviour in these circumnstances




What I mean*is that the swollen battery was not a pouch LIPO cell which seem to be more prone to swelling than a hard enclosed cell like this one

Very thin metal (Like used in "mobile" applications) isn't much different from a foil pouch. The phone probably draws half a mA to check if you've pushed the power button lately. This is true of most electronic switches, especially since there usually isn't much mileage in limiting phone power as there is with standby-type things like flashlights.

Pull the battery out or cover the contacts with electrical tape before storage.

My phone in off mode draws battery empty in 2-3 months. The clock chip in it is still ticking when "off".

Many thanks again, is it usual to a Li-ion battery to swell after being depleted like this one? and could it explode?

How long do protection circuit take to draw a Li-ion battery down to 0.00V after it kicked from reaching too low voltage?

Usually it would quietly deform and never work again. Charging, excess heat, and short circuit (caused by clumsy handling or damage) are the main ways to get " non-passive end of life."

Hello Derek10,

Welcome to CPF.

The RC community did a lot of exploration when they changed over to Li-Po cells. They found that physical damage will cause many cells to swell. This damage can be as little as creasing the pack with a fingernail.

Speculating that the swelling was caused by internal pressure, some poked a small hole in the pack and pushed the pressure out. They then sealed the hole and continued to use it with caution. When it swelled up again they would repeat the process.

Note that this is not recommended, but sometimes in the name of science the limits are pushed.

Pouch cells are more vulnerable than can cells, but damage can still happen. If you ever dropped the phone or exposed it to temperature extremes it could cause some minor damage. Over time this causes a reaction inside the cell and pressure builds. I don't know if your phone battery has a vent, but if it does it is not working and the battery swelled up.

At any rate it is good that you recycled it. With a 0.0 voltage I don't think it is extremely dangerous but I don't trust those chemicals even with no voltage.

Tom

Hi Tom, many thanks!
That made a lot of sense. The phone has been dropped several times so that's a huge possibility!

Another question.

Are Ni-MH batteries dangerous when depleted? Should I recycle them? Could they explode over time? can I store it indefinitely

I have a 15 year olde phone (not in use, saved to remember it back in time) which used a heavy 900mAh 3.8V Ni-MH battery, it measures 0.00V too but it's not swollen nor anything.

The battery is also the back cover so the phone would be ugly if I should recycle it

Thanks.

Hello Derek10,

NiMh chemistry doesn't usually have problems like that. By the way batteries don't "explode," they "rapidly vent sometimes with flame..."

With NiMh batteries the electrolyte oxidizes and dries out and causes internal shorts and an extreme loss of capacity. This also leads to high rates of self discharge. Many chargers will not charge a battery that is at 0.0 volts. Trying to revive a battery that has been stored for an extended period of time usually fails.

The main danger with NiMh batteries comes when you are trying to "force" extra charge into an already charged battery. The battery can heat up and the internal build up of gas can be faster than the vent can bleed it off. This can result in the top of the can blowing off propelling the body across the room with some force. There is no fire danger but the battery can get hot enough to melt the shrink wrap and possibly the charger.

Tom

Thanks again Tom!

Yeah I don't plan to charge it anymore (besides I've lost or thrown away the charger) so it will be fine to me,

By the way here's the photo of the swollen Li-ion battery that I've uploaded elsewhere long ago and I've forgotten it.

Original battery:



My battery



The plastic shell popped out revealing the cell (this battery was also the back cover of the phone). As you can see from the reflections the battery was hugely ballooned. I also had a photo showing it side face but I've lost it.

Hello Derek10,

Recycle time...

Tom

SilverFox said:

Hello Derek10,

Recycle time...

Tom

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Hi Tom

The battery was recycled last year, that was an old photo taken shortly before recycling it

I found it later after creating this thread so I posted it now

I had this happen, one of my uncles gave me an old HP palm pilot type of device that had a lithium battery, the battery was bulging so I immediately dumped it in the nearest battery recycling bin. This device was sitting in my uncle's closet for many years unused. The person who bought it originally didn't want it so it was gifted to him, he didn't want it so into the closet it went. I wonder if this could possibly start a fire, storing a device in a closet with a bulging lithium battery.

SilverFox said:

By the way batteries don't "explode," they "rapidly vent sometimes with flame..."

Click to expand...

Actually, if the venting is damaged or inadequate, they can also experience "spontaneous rapid disassembly". But no, they still do not explode. :devil:

In most lithium batteries the electrolyte is flammable, and the active material on the plates may also burn in air, but there is no chemical energy left in the discharged battery to cause either of these to happen on their own. It takes a charging attempt or additional cells in series, or mechanical damage to make those consequences possible.

SaraAB87 said:

I had this happen, one of my uncles gave me an old HP palm pilot type of device that had a lithium battery, the battery was bulging so I immediately dumped it in the nearest battery recycling bin. This device was sitting in my uncle's closet for many years unused. The person who bought it originally didn't want it so it was gifted to him, he didn't want it so into the closet it went. I wonder if this could possibly start a fire, storing a device in a closet with a bulging lithium battery.

Click to expand...

Very possible, I have saw videos of people puncturing lipo cells and they ignite, something similar could happen if a li ion cell ruptures.

Henceforth I now

store the batteries disconnected on a safe place on devices that I would need in the long term (ie spare phones)

reuse it if the device is faulty and the battery is in good condition. Otherwise, recycle it

If you intend to store a phone in a drawer, pull the battery down to 30% / 1 bar, then store it. It will last for years.
Throw a Li-Ion battery in a drawer at 100% and you can kiss it goodbye.