Disposing of LiPos

[teflyer]

Is there a proper way to get rid of LiPos that just do not perform the way they used to?

Thanks.

 

[Klonas]

I throw my bad LiPos and other batteries into containers they have in my country that basically look like... HUGE AA batteries
They are made for disposing batteries safely.

 

[nibnobsam]

Short circuit them

 

[UndCon]

Save all connectors for later use

Put the LIPO in a bucket full of salt water (as much salt as you can dissolve)

Let it rest there for several days

Dispose the proper way in your county

 

[sandblaster]

Use a small light bulb to totally discharge them. Leave the bulb connected for a few days after it goes out. Then can check with volt meter to be sure it is dead, then throw away in garbage. Have read that the salt water does not work and eats the connections off. Makes it almost impossible to discharge then. The goal is to get all the charge out of the battery. No charge, no current, no heat to explode or short to cause a fire. A small load of any kind will do it over time. The very small batteries, have use a small electric motor.

 

[jetpackninja]

+1 on the light bulb- You want one for 12v though.
I put alligator clips on an aftermarket marker light just for this very thing.
Clip it on until it's totally discharged.
I don't know what your recycling laws are like there.
Here, they are safe to throw in the regular garbage once they have been discharged.

 

[Klonas]

Here, they are safe to throw in the regular garbage once they have been discharged.

Won't the Lithium in the batterie start burning if it contacts with air?

 

[jetpackninja]

Not once it has been fully discharged.

Another popular method around here is to just chop it in half with a shovel or an axe and just let it burn.
Then throw it in the trash after it cools.

I have cut them in half after they are discharged and never seen them burn...

 

[fred0000]

i've never cut a charged one open, but I have with a dead one and nothing happened. from what i've read (where i'm located) its fine to discharge them and toss them in the regular garbage.

I use the "discharge" mode on my charger as low as it'll go then finnish it off with a lightbulb or motor.

 

[colorex]

Shorting batteries is fun

 

[teflyer]

Thanks guys! I live in Texas, but I have no idea where Lipos go in Texas. I think technically we are supposed to turn them in somewhere, but not sure where.

 

[earthsciteach]

Aren't LiPos bigger in Texas? Where do you live? I spent a few year in TX.

 

[teflyer]

What do you mean by big? as in big deal on where we throw them out?
and I live in South Texas.

 

[earthsciteach]

No, it was a joke. That, "Everything is bigger in Texas," thing. I went to high school in TX, and also attended Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M for a bit. I lived in Madisonville (nowhere-vill) and Brenham (home of Blue Bell Ice Cream).

 

[colorex]

Aren't LiPos bigger in Texas? Where do you live? I spent a few year in TX.

Everything is bigger in Texas. And LiPo's go in your plane

 

[teflyer]

Oh! Whoops! lol.
Usually when I think about Texas, I think about summer heat with windy days.

Colorex: ha ha! It is just that I abused my battery so much, I want to know what to do when it finally goes out. I crashed my plane into a pole with the battery in front, I short circuited the battery a couple of times, done several nose dives with the battery in front...
all that and it still looks pretty new!
but I began to think after I short circuited it again by accident and a little smoke began to come out that it might not work anymore soon.

 

[KKArioKA]

just throw it away over the mexican border and let them deal with it ....


hahaha just kidding !!

 

[Fishbonez]

I understand what you mean about turning them in for recycling. I tried to turn my Lipos to my LHS and they said that they did not take then but to take them to battery + however they said "I dont want that thing." Asked Radio Shack they were like uh dunno so I just discharged them cut the wires off for later use and wrapped them up with tape and tossed it into the ole garbage can. Dont know if that was the environmental thing to do but...

 

[earthsciteach]

Colorex had the idea - target practice!

I have two 2200 mah, 3 cells that both have a dead cell. Combine the good cells and I have a 4s! Who cares about C rating? Pffffttt!

 

[Fishbonez]

Hmm
Target practice. Hunh 5.56 mm round in a lipo...Sounds like fun Im in.