Disposal of old lithium batteries

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mikethebike3
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Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:19 pm
Location: NE Norfolk, UK

Disposal of old lithium batteries

Postby mikethebike3 » Wed May 10, 2017 7:20 am

I have a number of 2008 Chinese HiPower 200Ah cells left over from a past project and noticed recently that one has swollen up alarmingly.
I'll start testing remaining capacity of the rest with a view to keeping a few to use with an electric outboard, but any suggestions for how I can responsibly dispose of any that don't make the cut would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mike

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timpootle
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Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:13 pm
Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, UK

Re: Disposal of old lithium batteries

Postby timpootle » Tue May 16, 2017 11:02 am

Hello Mike

I don't know the answer to this, but I am interested in how they fail when old, despite having offloaded all mine now.

How big is 'alarmingly'? HiPower always said they did not need strapping, unlike other similar vintage prismatic cells.

Did you get yours from Rob Sharpe? They were my original batch, after I calculated that the Berlingo wouldn't carry all 204 that I had bought and redesigned for a 51s3p pack of 153 cells. You might even have my '1D..42D' written in marker pen on the top. I gave them all a new serial A.B.C.D..1-51 to keep track of them, as well as the HiPower serial stuck on with sellotape.
Tim Crumpton

mikethebike3
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:19 pm
Location: NE Norfolk, UK

Re: Disposal of old lithium batteries

Postby mikethebike3 » Wed May 24, 2017 1:57 pm

Hi Tim
Thanks for the reply, and apologies for my slow response.
Yep, these were from Rob Sharpe and were used in my Fiat Seicento about 5 years back with some positive results. I put a commercial BMS on the pack which showed the battery voltages in a real-time visual histogram, and it was pretty clear that whilst some were nice & stiff, i.e. with low internal resistance, others were not and dipped under accelerating. I've since bought a Peugeot Ion (over three years ago), which is just about perfect for our needs, and all the battery problems are over, apart from the ~10 original HiPower cells I retained. Of these, one started bulging: it's original ~52mm thickness (measured between the moulding castellations) is now ~80mm at its worst. It had been stored for a couple of years on its edge (i.e. with the terminals vertically aligned) and was I believe even worse when I discovered it and posted the question, but after leaving it vertically oriented it's recovered a little. I'm about to do a load test on 4 others which appear in good shape, but I was just wondering about their ultimate disposal.
Difficult to believe no-one else has overcome the same problem some time!
Best wishes
Mike

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timpootle
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Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:13 pm
Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy, UK

Re: Disposal of old lithium batteries

Postby timpootle » Sun Sep 03, 2017 1:35 pm

Hello Mike, and all

I have just had an email, from Alan Ward in Dorset who says that his local tip (he is in Dorset) has a separate section for expired lithium batteries. So they are catered for in some places.

The email was in response to a plea from Bob Knox in Exeter who would like a single 200Ah HiPower cell to replace a duffer in his Aixam. Does anyone reading this have a spare they would part with?

Thirdly Alan requsted "an elderly Li cell, any size greater than 70 Ah, to drive a toy car which my smaller great-grandchildren sit in and drive in the garden - with more enthusiasm than skill. I want any cell with a bit of life left in it, there's ample room in the toy car. Alan Ward (mid Dorset) - dorset2wards@hotmail.com." Can anyone help him with this?
Tim Crumpton

Grumpy-b
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Re: Disposal of old lithium batteries

Postby Grumpy-b » Mon Sep 11, 2017 2:30 pm

I have a customer looking for a couple of spare 200ah Hipowers if there are any going.

I also have a large quantity of 160ah cells waiting for an appropriate economic disposal route. Its interesting how companies are trying to walk away from the issue.
Axiom are now part of Johnson Matthey who dont seem to want to take on past cell disposal. (Modec and Allied)
Valence state if you bought them in Belgium , they will dispose of them, otherwise its down to the company who used them, ie Smiths were the largest user.
Its an area where somthing will have to happen soon, as the push to EVs will generate huge quantities of duff cells needing disposal. At the moment the only way is to send them to somewhere in Europe, Belgium I believe where they simply burn them and sell off the slag as building material, no recycling of the metal content at the moment.


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