This has been a lot in the news of late, we all love Lithium batteries as they are small yet amazingly powerful, but there is a safety issue.  They can catch fire…why?

“Lithium batteries are made to deliver a high output with minimal weight. Battery components are designed to be lightweight, which translates into thin partitions between cells and a thin outer covering. The partitions or coating can be fairly fragile, so they can be punctured. If the battery is damaged, a short occurs. This spark can ignite the highly reactive lithium.

Another possibility is that the battery can heat to the point of thermal runaway.  Here, the heat of the contents exerts pressure on the battery, potentially producing an explosion.”

The above is one very good reason why at SDR we say don’t just throw your old lithium batteries in the bin, contact SDR and ensure that you have safe secure facilities in which to deposit old and unwanted devices.