Lithium-Ion Batteries are widely used in mobile phones, computers, electric cars and more. You may have encountered lithium-ion battery failure during use. This article will detail what causes Lithium-Ion Batteries to fail and guide you on how to fix them as best as possible.
Why Lithium-Ion Batteries Die
Overcharging
A maximum charging voltage exists for lithium-ion batteries. If this voltage is exceeded, it will cause irreversible oxidation of the cathode material and electrolyte. Therefore, if you use high voltage charging or long-time charging will lead to battery failure. Such as causing the battery capacity to decrease, poor discharge performance, and even causing bulging due to gas expansion.
Deep discharge
If your lithium-ion battery is too low, it can cause it to discharge deeply, chemical changes occur on the surface of the negative electrode and in the diaphragm/copper collector. The SEI is destroyed, some of the active lithium changes to an irreversible form, and in more severe cases, the cathode or copper collector is dissolved. When you charge the battery again, the metal will precipitate inside the battery, forming an internal short circuit. So, if you overdrain a Li-Ion battery, you can also cause the Li-Ion battery to fail.
Physical damage
If you have ever crushed, dropped or disassembled a lithium battery, this can damage the internal structure of the cell. And will result in crushing the electrodes, puncturing the diaphragm, short-circuiting between the cells, or damaging the battery case and protection circuitry. This can all lead to your battery dying. In addition, if the diaphragm is punctured, the cell can no longer be repaired.
Aging and wear and tear
Almost all batteries will gradually lose capacity over time. This is because every time you charge and use a battery, you irreversibly affect it. The SEI thickens, the active material chalks up, and the conductive network breaks down. And as the number of cycles continues to accumulate, the active lithium and available electrode material dwindles and internal resistance rises. Your battery thus wears out and ages, and the range becomes shorter. In addition, even if you do not use lithium-ion batteries, they will age. Because lithium-ion batteries are self-discharging, they lose their charge even when not in use.
Quality issues
Production issues
If your battery is dying early in its life, there is a chance that it is a manufacturing quality issue. Batteries that are manufactured with entrapped metal particles, uneven coating, ruptured diaphragms, residual moisture, or electrolyte contamination can all leave a hidden danger of battery death. Poorly assembled batteries or mismatched cells can also lead to localised overload and damage.
Inferior product
In addition, if you choose a poor quality battery with a lower price or a counterfeit brand. It will use poor quality components in its manufacturing process, the battery will malfunction frequently, and the life of the battery will age at an accelerated rate.
Improper storage
High Temperature
You should not store your battery in high temperatures. High temperatures will accelerate the chemical reaction between the electrolyte and electrode materials, causing the battery capacity to drop rapidly. High temperatures can also increase the internal pressure of the battery, leading to bulging or even rupture and leakage. Also you’d better not store it near a heat source. In addition, prolonged charging or prolonged use can cause the battery to heat up and affect the battery death
Low Temperature
You also don’t store your lithium-ion battery at low temperatures. While low temperatures inhibit the chemical reaction between the electrolyte and electrode materials, they increase the viscosity of the electrolyte and affect the discharge of the battery. If you charge the battery in an environment below 0 degrees Celsius, it will cause lithium metal to be deposited on the negative electrode, resulting in a loss of capacity.
Humid Environment
You’d better not store the battery in a humid environment. Humidity can cause corrosion of the metal joints of the positive and negative terminals, increasing contact resistance and reducing the efficiency of energy output. In addition, if you don’t use the battery, it should be stored airtight. Otherwise, moisture may penetrate inside the battery, increasing the risk of a short circuit and causing the battery to die.
Incorrect charging
You should choose the right charger for your lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries have a rated voltage and a full charge voltage. Excessive voltage can cause electrolyte decomposition and structural damage to the cathode material. Excessive charging current can cause lithium metal deposition and also increase the battery temperature. In addition the use of incompatible chargers can lead to over-voltage or fluctuation, causing the battery to be under- or over-charged. All of these can accelerate battery death.
How to Revive Them
It is important to note that dead lithium-ion batteries are very difficult to fully restore to normal. Using the following steps can temporarily restore some batteries, but cannot guarantee good use. So for long-term use, you’d better change a new lithium-ion batteries.
Step 1: Judge Condition
Observe appearance
You must verify whether the battery can be repaired before attempting to do so. Firstly, observe the appearance of the battery to see if there is any bulging, distortion, leakage or odour. If there is, you’d better not try to fix it yourself. You should send it to professional treatment or recycling.
Ruling out Other Causes
You should replace the charger with another charger and another power supply to rule out the cause of the charger and power supply failure. In addition, you should use a soft brush to clean the charging port before trying to charge. Because the charging port blocked by dust or debris will also affect the charging of the lithium battery.
Measure
You need to measure the voltage of the battery. Greater than 3.6V per cell means the battery is close to full, and lower than 2.5V per cell means the voltage is low. If the voltage is close to 0V, it means the battery has been severely damaged and is beyond repair. You also need to measure the battery capacity and internal resistance. If some voltage is present but the capacity is down and the internal resistance is up, try reviving.
Step 2: Prepare Tools
You need to have a DC stabilised power supply with current limiting and voltage settings, or a dedicated lithium activator. A multimeter, insulating clips, Insulation pads, temperature guns, gloves and goggles are also needed. Also for safety, you need to have dry powder or carbon dioxide fire extinguishers and do this in a ventilated environment.
Step 3: Low Current Charging
Set the charger to constant current mode, with the current set to 0.05C-0.1C of the rated capacity of the battery, and the voltage on line set to the full charge voltage. You need to continuously observe the temperature and current of the battery during the charging process. If the temperature is too high, or if there is an odour or outgassing, you must stop charging immediately and scrap the battery. If charging is normal, continue to the next step.
Step 4: Switching to Normal Charging
After safely bringing the voltage up to 3.6V with a low-voltage pre-charge, you’ll then fully charge the battery using the regular charger it comes with and the current recommended in the manual. After that, you should leave the battery for 30 to 60 minutes to observe the voltage drop and temperature.
Step 5: Volumetric Testing
Constantly discharge the battery to a standard cut-off voltage and record the milliamps discharged. If you have more specialised equipment, test the runtime and voltage performance in the device. If the capacity is significantly less than 50 per cent of the rating, it is recommended to replace the battery.
Step 6: Other Attempts
Replace the Battery Management System
The battery management system of the lithium battery will automatically disconnect the output after detecting over-discharge, over-charge, short-circuit or abnormal temperature. If the battery cell itself is not damaged, you can replace the battery protection board with the same model and try charging again.
Replace the Battery Cells
As long as one battery cell is damaged, the whole battery pack will fail. So you need to test the voltage and resistance of each cell to find the damaged part. Then you must replace the cells with the same capacity, voltage and model.
Step 7: Handle Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries
If your lithium-ion battery is not repairable, you should replace it with a new one and dispose of the discarded battery properly. Lithium-ion batteries contain hazardous substances such as lithium salt, electrolyte, and metal oxides. Disposal can cause soil and water pollution, and damaged lithium-ion batteries may even catch fire and explode. The rare metals in used batteries can also be recycled. Therefore, you should take used lithium-ion batteries to the collection site designated by the local environmental protection department.
Tips for Using Lithium-Ion Batteries
Choose the Specified Charger
You should use the original charger or a compatible CC-CV charger. You can also choose a charger equipped with a temperature sensor and an automatic power-off. It can automatically stop charging when the battery temperature is abnormal or when it is fully charged to prevent battery damage. Avoid using fast charging too often, as it will accelerate the decline of battery capacity.
Don’t Overcharge or Overdischarge
Stop charging when the battery is about 80%–90%. Keeping it at 100% for too long will speed up aging. Do not let the discharge drop below 20%, as deep discharge can reduce its life. Also, you need to avoid using it while charging. This will cause the battery to heat up and accelerate battery depletion.
Correct Storage
If you don’t use the battery for a long time, leave it at around 40 to 60 percent charge. You should avoid storing the battery in temperatures above 35 degrees and below 0 degrees. Also, it’s best not to store lithium-ion batteries in direct sunlight. Storing them in a cool, dry place is appropriate.
Conclusion
This article explains in detail why lithium-ion batteries die and walks you through the process of restoring them as much as possible. This article also provides suggestions to help you get a longer life out of your lithium-ion batteries. VTCBATT provides stable, durable, and high-quality lithium-ion batteries. Please feel free to contact us if you need.
