Never charge a primary battery (lithium or alkaline disposable); store single-use batteries separately. Charge or discharge the battery to approximately 50% of its capacity before long-term storage. Use chargers or charging methods designed to safely charge cells or battery packs with the specified parameters. Preventing the unauthorized entry of lithium-ion batteries into your warehouses is an essential part of ensuring that batteries remain in excellent operating condition.
Battery storage cabinets should be equipped with lockable doors that prevent the misuse, theft, or vandalism of lithium-ion batteries. Always check your lithium-ion tanks to ensure that the batteries are in excellent condition before charging them. Lithium-ion batteries contain some materials, such as cobalt and lithium, which are considered critical minerals and require energy to extract and manufacture them. Batteries typically contain materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and titanium, as well as graphite and a flammable electrolyte.
When charging and storing lithium batteries, there are several risks that require controls to maintain a safe working environment. While lithium-ion batteries aren't prone to leakage like alkaline or lead-acid batteries, they can still leak liquid containing hydrofluoric acid if the battery cell is damaged. It's crucial that lithium-ion batteries are stored in a cool, dry environment to maintain battery performance and safety. Fortunately, lithium-ion battery fires and explosions don't happen every day, but these dangerous incidents can occur when batteries aren't maintained, charged, and stored safely and sensibly.
Another key consideration when selecting battery storage for your business is compliance with electrical regulations. Lithium-ion batteries should never be left lying around, as they can be adversely affected by the ambient temperature of a room and cause the cell to overheat. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and devices containing these batteries should not go to household waste or recycling containers. Whether you operate drones, mobile phones, forklifts, industrial robots, or solar panels, your business will rely on lithium-ion batteries.
Because of the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries and their sensitivity to heat, humidity and stress, it is important to understand the optimal conditions in which these types of batteries should be stored. In this post, we'll outline some key considerations for storing lithium-ion batteries, which will actively reduce the likelihood and impact of a fire, explosion, and thermal leak.
