From the phone in your pocket to the laptop on your desk, to the increasing number of electric cars on the road, lithium batteries have been deeply integrated into our daily lives, providing us with great convenience. However, this powerful new energy source is not perfect, sometimes they have some annoying problems and may even bring safety hazards. This article helps you understand the causes of lithium battery failure, solutions and how to extend battery life, so as to safely use and handle lithium batteries.
Lithium battery is a kind of battery that can be recharged and used repeatedly. Compared with other types of batteries, it can store more power in the same size or even smaller volume, so your electronic products can be made thinner and lighter, and the battery life can be longer.
Lithium-ion batteries are used to power everything from cell phones to drones, thanks to their lightweight design and ability to store so much energy. That’s why they’re so ubiquitous.
Lithium batteries are composed of positive and negative electrodes, electrolytes, separators, etc. It stores and releases electrical energy by allowing lithium ions to move back and forth between the cathode and anode of the battery.
Issues with lithium ion batteries
Below are several safety issues of lithium batteries to help you quickly identify problems you may encounter.
Problem 1: Reduced battery life. Have you noticed that when you first bought your phone, you could use it for a whole day, but now you have to find a charger to charge it after half a day? Or the battery power of your phone is decreasing rapidly even though you haven’t used it much. This is the most common symptom of battery aging – reduced battery life.
Problem 2: Abnormal charging. Sometimes, you may find that the charging speed becomes as slow as a snail; the battery charge reaches 80%~90% and then cannot be charged any further; even worse, when the charging cable is plugged in, the phone has no response at all and cannot be charged; it may even charge for a while and then stop, as if the contact is poor.
Problem 3: The device/battery is abnormally hot. This is a warning sign. You may notice that when charging, playing games, or watching videos, a part of your phone or other electronic product, especially the battery area, becomes abnormally hot, even to the point of burning your hand.
Problem 4: Battery bulging and expansion. This is the most important situation because it is directly related to safety. You may find that the phone screen is lifted up, the back cover cannot be closed, or you can clearly see that the battery itself is bulging like a balloon. At this time, the battery has been deformed.
Problem 5: The device unexpectedly shuts down. Another phenomenon that drives everyone crazy is that the phone clearly shows that there is 20% to 30% battery left, but suddenly the screen goes black and the device shuts down, as if the battery evaporated in an instant.
Question 6: The battery level display is inaccurate. Have you ever experienced a situation where the battery level display is like a roller coaster. For example, it drops from 100% to 70% quickly, and then it can be used for a long time; or the battery level is stuck at a certain number (such as 1%) and is particularly durable; or it displays 100% just after charging, and instantly drops to 95% when the charger is unplugged.
If you encounter the above-mentioned common lithium battery problems, it indicates that your battery has failed.
Why do batteries have these problems
In response to the above battery symptoms, the following is an in-depth and easy-to-understand explanation of the common causes of battery problems.
Natural aging. This is the most common and unavoidable cause. Lithium batteries age, just like us. Every time a battery is charged and discharged, tiny chemical changes and physical losses occur inside the battery. As the number of charge and discharge cycles increases and time passes, its available capacity will decrease, which is normal. Usually after one or two years, the output power of a lithium battery will drop significantly.
High temperatures are a major hidden danger. Forgetting your phone in a car in the hot summer, or leaving it by the window in direct sunlight can accelerate aging and even cause danger. Playing large games for a long time, watching high-definition videos, or using the device intensively while charging will also generate a lot of heat, and the battery will also heat up. This internal high temperature will also shorten the battery life.
Improper charging habits. Many people are used to completely using up the battery before recharging it, but for lithium batteries, often letting the battery run out of power until it automatically shuts down (this is deep discharge) will put more pressure on the battery. Similarly, keeping the battery at 100% full charge all the time, especially plugging it in overnight, is not the best choice for the long-term health of the battery. Using cheap chargers or data cables that are not safety certified may cause unstable output current, which will not only slow down charging, but may also damage the battery and even cause safety issues.
Physical damage. If your electronic device is accidentally dropped, crushed by a heavy object, or hit hard, even if there is no apparent problem on the outside, the internal structure of the battery may have been damaged, which will affect performance and may even lead to dangerous situations such as short circuits and bulging.
Extreme cold temperatures. Although not as destructive as high temperatures, the chemical activity of lithium batteries will decrease in sub-zero environments, and you will find that the power will drop very quickly, and the device may even shut down automatically. However, it will recover after returning to normal temperature. But frequent experience of such extreme low temperatures can also damage the long-term health of the battery.
Manufacturing defects. Although relatively rare, there is a chance that the battery may have a minor defect when it leaves the factory. If a newly purchased device quickly develops serious problems, this may be the reason. However, in most cases, the aforementioned aging, high temperature and usage habits have a greater impact.
Solutions for lithium ion batteries problems
You may have a preliminary understanding of the symptoms and reasons behind battery problems. Now we will provide you with practical and specific solutions or inspection steps.
Regarding the battery life decline, if you feel that the battery life is getting shorter and shorter, we recommend the following steps to check:
First, check if your device has a battery health function (like iPhones have it, some Androids and laptops also have it), which can give you an approximate percentage of battery aging. You can do these things, such as lowering the screen brightness, turning off infrequently used background apps, turning off unnecessary notifications and location services, etc. These are quick power-saving tips. But battery aging is a natural law. If the health is too low or you have used it for a long time, the most fundamental solution is to replace the battery with a new one.
For abnormal charging. If you encounter problems such as slow charging or failure to charge, you can check them in order.
Check your charging cable and charger carefully for obvious damage. Check if the port is dirty or blocked by foreign objects. Try a different socket. Try a good charger and cable to see if it’s a problem with the accessories. A simple restart of the device can sometimes fix temporary software glitches. You can also carefully clean the dust from the device’s charging port with a toothpick or lint-free tool.
Regarding battery heating. You should stop what you are doing immediately, especially stop charging or playing large games. The second is physical cooling. Move the device away from the heat source and put it in a cool and ventilated place. If you are wearing a heavy protective case, take it off first to help dissipate heat. After the device cools down, you can check whether there is an app that is consuming power crazily in the background and causing heating. If the heating is very severe or occurs frequently, it may be a dangerous signal of battery or other hardware problems.
For unexpected shutdowns/inaccurate battery. First, it is recommended to check and update to the latest operating system. Sometimes software bugs can cause such problems. You can also try battery calibration again to see if it can improve the situation. This situation is often an early sign of battery aging or internal problems, and you need to consider whether you need to replace the battery with a new one.
Regarding battery swelling. Once the battery is swollen, there is no safe way to repair it by yourself. You must stop using the device immediately and do not try to charge it. The safest way is to remove the swollen battery and replace it with a new one.
How to deal with and handle swollen batteries
Battery bulging is the biggest problem with lithium batteries. This means that something has gone wrong inside the battery, posing a risk of short circuit, fire or even explosion. Do not ignore it! Life safety comes first.
You need to stop operating the device or using the battery. If the device is charging, carefully and quickly unplug it. Carefully move the device or battery to a safe place, away from flammable items (paper, cloth, wood, etc.), preferably a cool, dry, ventilated area.
Do not press or squeeze the swollen area, do not try to pierce the battery with a needle or other sharp objects, and do not bend or twist the battery. It is best to disassemble the device and remove the battery under the guidance of a professional.
Store the swollen battery in a non-flammable container. Do not throw the swollen battery into the ordinary household waste bin. Send it to a designated battery recycling center. Read the further information.
Good habits to extend battery life
Prevention is better than cure, good habits to extend battery life. Here are some actionable good habits that can effectively extend your battery life.
- Temperature control is the key. If you want your battery to last longer, keeping it away from high temperatures is the first priority. Try not to keep your device in an environment that exceeds 35 degrees Celsius for a long time.
- Shallow charging and shallow discharge is the best charging solution. The most comfortable state is to keep the power in the range of 20% to 80%. You don’t need to wait until the phone is about to shut down before charging, and you don’t need to charge it to 100% before disconnecting the charger.
- When charging your device, it is best to use the original charger and cable, or choose a reputable, certified third-party brand. Those particularly cheap, low-quality chargers may have unstable output voltage and current, which will not only charge slowly, but may also slowly damage your battery and even pose a safety hazard.
- Avoid physical damage. Try to avoid dropping, hitting, or being crushed by heavy objects. A good protective case can also help.
- For devices that may not be used for a long time, do not store them fully charged or empty. It is best to charge them to about 50%, then turn them off and place them in a cool, dry place.
- Update the software in time. Update to optimize power management and fix abnormal power consumption bugs. Keeping the software up to date can sometimes indirectly help extend battery life and life.
This set of battery maintenance operations can effectively improve the battery condition and extend its service life. Read more.
Conclusion
Lithium batteries often have the above problems, mostly due to usage habits and environment. Bulging is a serious safety signal. If you have any questions or difficulties, please contact us for help.
