

Dispose of the Battery at an Authorized Recycling Center The same general rules apply even when you can’t remove the battery yourself: take the whole device and store it in a dry cool place to minimize any further degradation of the battery cells and keep it away from anything flammable. There you should find someone with the tools/skills to help open your device and remove the damaged battery. If your device is not user-serviceable, and you can’t easily remove the battery, then you should take the device to a service location, specialty battery shop, or an authorized battery recycler (see below). Second, store the battery in a dry cool place away from flammable things until you can safely transport it to a disposal facility.

The last thing you want is for something to short the terminals out. First, insulate the contacts of the battery (if exposed) with a piece of electrical tape. Once you have removed the battery, you should do two things immediately. If your device is user-serviceable and you can easily open the case or a service panel to remove the battery, then doing so is in your best interest: it will prevent the expanding battery from (further) damaging your device and it will prevent any sharp edges inside the battery compartment from piercing the protective layer around the battery.

In the photo below, courtesy of Reddit user iNemzis and /r/TechSupportGore, you can see how the expansion of a MacBook battery was so powerful it actually ripped the trackpad right out of the frame of the laptop. On the other end of the spectrum you’ll find extreme examples where the expansion of the battery outright rips the surrounding electronics open. We happened to have a spare identical battery on hand for comparison.Īlthough it’s not extremely dramatic to look at, the little smartphone battery has clearly failed and the center of the battery is swollen to roughly 150-200% the size of the healthy battery and the case could no longer be safely closed. We were recently preparing a pile of old smartphones for recycling, for example, and when we removed the back of the phones to double check for microSD cards, one of the batteries was swollen and the back of the case popped off like it was spring loaded. If the swelling is minor, you might simply notice that something seems a little off with your device: the back of your smartphone might seem slightly distorted, the frame of your Kindle might have an unusual gap, or maybe the trackpad on your laptop seems sort of stiff. This is where the swollen battery effect comes from: the batteries are designed to contain, as a fail safe measure, that out gassing so that it doesn’t cause a catastrophic fire.

When lithium-ion batteries are over heated, over charged, or simply failing due to old age, it’s possible for the inner cells of the battery to outgas a flammable electrolyte mixture. Lithium is more reactive than previously used compounds, the batteries have very small partitions between the cells and the outer covering, and the entire battery is pressurized. Compared to its predecessors, the lithium-ion battery is less stable.
#Callpad open battery free
Unfortunately there’s no such thing as a free lunch, so to speak, and all that high-density energy goodness comes with a trade off. They have high energy density, low self-discharge, and a very tiny memory effect: all features that make them perfect for inclusion is everything from MacBooks to Kindles. As far as compact batteries go, they’re pretty great.
#Callpad open battery portable
The vast majority of modern portable electronics, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, ebook readers, and fitness trackers are all powered by lithium-ion batteries. If you open up your phone to find a battery swollen to twice its size, proper care and handling is critical for both your safety and the safety of others. When a lithium ion battery fails, things can go south very quickly.
