Lithium-ion batteries safe to play with?

[seanspotatobusiness]

I have a couple of lithium-ion batteries from a broken smartphone. Can I use them for a project or are they too dangerous for a novice to play around with?

I made a bike light that charges NiCad batteries using a dynamo with the batteries maintaining the light while stopped. I think I was advised that they were more tolerant of abuse than NiMH batteries. Could I substitute lithium-ion batteries in this situation? They have some sort of overcharging prevention built-in, right?

 

[(*steve*)]

The batteries you have taken from a phone are likely NOT to have protection against overcharging. That is more than likely) built into the phone itself.

Lithium batteries are very intolerant of overcharge and also over discharge. This gets worse as you move to higher energy density versions. And guess what, phones tend to use the high energy density batteries.

NiCad are more tolerant of abuse than NiMH. The only issue is that Cadmium is not a very substance.

 

[CDRIVE]

NiCad are more tolerant of abuse than NiMH. The only issue is that Cadmium is not a very substance.

Steve, is there a word missing ?

Chris

 

[seanspotatobusiness]

Yeah, but the likely variations (nice, safe, environmentally-friendly) all mean essentially the same thing in that context. The take-home message though is that I can't do anything with my old lithium-ion batteries. Shame to waste them

 

[(*steve*)]

Steve, is there a word missing ?

Yes, I missed the "nice" word. Clearly the Electronics Point editor removed that word because I'm not often nice

Cadmium is not a very nice substance.

 

[CDRIVE]

I don't think that batteries that still have useful life left to give should be discarded at all. Especially if they're not "environmentally friendly". I'm not a Litho expert but I don't see why we can't provide a regulator circuit for him.

Chris ..3,223 miles and still peddling.