Is it ok to charge cold cold Li-ons?

PhotonWrangler

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I just brought a flashlight inside from the car and the battery is around 50 deg F. Is it ok to drop a chilly battery right into a charger? I'm wondering whether the speed of the temperature rise can cause a violent failure.
 
I just brought a flashlight inside from the car and the battery is around 50 deg F. Is it ok to drop a chilly battery right into a charger? I'm wondering whether the speed of the temperature rise can cause a violent failure.

Please see - Lithium-ion safety concerns at BatteryUniversity.com
about 3/4 down the page under "What every battery user should know" -

"Another safety issue is cold temperature charging. Consumer grade lithium-ion batteries cannot be charged below 0°C (32°F). Although the packs appear to be charging normally, plating of metallic lithium occurs on the anode while on a sub-freezing charge. The plating is permanent and cannot be removed. If done repeatedly, such damage can compromise the safety of the pack. The battery will become more vulnerable to failure if subjected to impact, crush or high rate charging."

I know 32degF is quite a bit below your 50degF -
but it may be better to allow the battery to reach room temp before charging?
 
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